Promise Mark
by Kaiai
Summary: Takes place at the end of Shadow Kiss. So if you haven't read it avert your eyes. Rose gets away from her mother to get to Dimitri. There she gets the blond Strigoi to let Dimitri and the others go. But they take her instead. This is what happenes to her.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I am not Richelle Mead. So I don't own anything from her books. Just the stuff I make up.**

**This is my first Vampire Academy fanfic so I hope it's okay...**

**Okay well here is the first chapter. I hope y'all like it.**

1

I screamed as I watched the blond Strigoi sink his teeth once again in to Dimitri's neck. Someone grabbed a hold of my wrist and jerked me forward.

"He's dead Rose you can not help him." It was my mother's voice.

I glared at her and pushed her away. A shadow in the corner of my eye made me look to my left.

Mason had come back.

His gaze was heartbreaking but it seemed to say, "You know what to do."

And I did.

My mom grabbed me again and I shoved her away with enough force to send her flying backwards. I saw her eyes widen as I turned to go back to the caves.

"No Rose!" she screamed.

I ran straight through to the blond Strigoi. There were still Strigoi around but they were battling with a few Guardians still fighting to get away.

"Let him go," I screamed at the blond Strigoi.

He lifted his face from an unconscious Dimitri. Blood was slowly dripping from his mouth.

"Take me," I said in a quieter voice. "Let the others go, just take me."

I could hear my mother screaming again and the sounds of more fighting.

The blond Strigoi smiled at me, he pushed Dimitri away from himself and cold hands grabbed me.

"You will make a fine trophy Rose I have so many plans for you."

The nauseous feeling was about to overtake me. Then Dimitri shifted. His eyes opened and peered straight at me. The look he gave me broke my heart. It was full of both love and fury.

More Strigoi had gathered around us. One started going for Dimitri.

"No! Just take me. Let the others go," I said again to the blond one.

He laughed, "It is time for us to go. We got what we need."

Dimitri's eyes widened and he tried to get up. A burly looking Strigoi, must have been human first, kicked Dimitri in the stomach.

I whimpered and slumped as someone hit me in the head.

Looking back at Dimitri with tears in my eyes I whispered to him, "I love you."

Then I was dragged away.

* * *

No. Not Roza. I couldn't move and it was not something I was used to.

The Strigoi were taking my love from me. They were dragging her away and I couldn't do anything about it. I was stuck with who knows how many broken bones and now my heart was being ripped from me.

Blackness started to edge around my sight so I had to stress to stay conscious.

Janine was the first person I saw. She ran towards me but she was shouting for Roza. All I could do was stare at the place they had disappeared with her.

More Guardians swarmed the place checking for anymore Strigoi. Someone came over to me but I couldn't speak. All my thoughts were of Roza.

I don't know how it happened or when it happened but somehow I was staring at the ceiling of the clinic.

"Belikov it's about time you woke up."

Alberta's stern voice hovered from somewhere to my left.

"How long have I been out?"

"Just two days," she said. A chair scraped across the stone floor.

Two days without Roza.

I moved and was surprised that I had no pain. I shifted up so I was sitting up.

"That Dragomir girl is amazing," commented Alberta.

I nodded and stared at the foot of the bed.

"How many," I finally asked.

Alberta shook her head, "It's amazing that we got away with so many lives. Only a handful was killed."

"How many," I repeated.

"Six Moroi and eleven dhampirs," she grunted.

I put my head in my hands. One of those dhampirs was Roza.

I couldn't help but ask. There might have been a chance, "Rose?"

Alberta didn't speak.

"Rose," I repeated.

"They didn't find her, just her _nazar_ and the _chotki_. I think they didn't want any chance of her being traced."

I closed my eyes.

"I didn't hear anything they were saying did you?"

I looked up at her. She was staring at me with curiosity in her eyes.

"She told them to take her and to let us go."

Her eyes widened.

"He agreed and they took her," I said fighting for my control.

"Why would they do that?" she questioned.

"How the hell do I know?" I said pushing off the bed.

"Dimitri," Alberta said looking hurt.

"I'm sorry Alberta but I can't do this right now."

I grabbed my jacket from the foot of the bed and took off through the door.

I passed Dr. Olendzki and she grabbed my arm. I shook it away and pushed pass her.

"Guardian Belikov you don't need to be up," she protested.

"Yes I do," I replied.

Apparently it was night for the Moroi because the sun was shining brightly when I got on to the grounds.

I walked straight towards the woods.

The gates loomed up in front of me sooner than I thought they would. A dark figure was standing there against it.

As I got closer I recognized her. Janine.

"Guardian Belikov," she said in greeting. Her voice was hoarse.

"Guardian Hathaway," I said nodding at her.

Silence met us. We both stood there staring out at the many trees in front of us. Then she spoke.

"She went back because of you," Janine finally snapped.

I didn't answer.

"She would still be here," she persisted.

I let her rant because if I spoke I would probably lose my control once again.

"But she just had to go back. And they took her."

I looked at my feet.

"Why?"

I didn't really hear her.

Her small hand grabbed my arm and turned me to face her. I was slightly surprised but this was Janine.

"Why?" she repeated.

I looked straight in to the eyes that reminded me of Roza, "Because she is who she is."

"My daughter is dead because she loved you."

Her words hit me like ice.

"I knew. I saw you and her practicing. I could tell. I tried to make her stop. I told Tasha to request you. And I told Rose about it so she would think you moved on."

Here in front of me was the reason why Rose and tormented me a few weeks ago.

"I loved her," was all I could say.

Her nostrils flared, "You had no right."

"No I didn't."

She glared at me and then turned around and stormed off.

I stayed there at the gate and sank down to sit in the dirt.

**Well that was it. I hope you enjoyed it. Because there is a lot of twists and turns to come. Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead. So I don't own anything from her books. Just the things I make up.**

**Okay well here is chapter two! I hope y'all like it!**

2

I woke up in a dark room. So naturally I swore against every aching bone I had.

I still felt normal so I wasn't a Strigoi. Yet.

My arms were tied behind me to whatever I was sitting on. I immediately checked myself. The stake I had hidden in my shoe was still in place. So all in all, Strigoi were idiots.

The other more conveniently placed stake was gone. So if I was confronted where I could actually fight I would have to take off my shoe and get the stake. Great.

The room I was in was plain. White walls, stone floor, no windows, and no other furniture besides the chair I was tied too.

That's when I realized that I was tired. Every muscle I had was stressed. My wrists felt rubbed raw and my head was pounding. I faintly remembered getting hit in the head by someone and blacking out earlier.

Sleep was going to be difficult. I just hoped the nauseous feeling I seemed to get around Strigoi would alert me when I needed to be awake.

* * *

"I don't care you have too," I said, my voice rising.

"Look Lissa I've tried I can't find her," answered Adrian.

I glared at him this was one of the rare times when I wanted to be able to use compulsion on him.

"Try harder," I said flatly.

"Can't you feel her through the bond?"

I threw my hands up, "It's one way!"

Christian snatched one of my hands and squeezed, "Calm down everything will be fine."

I always felt better with Christian but the fact that people kept saying _fine_ around me was getting irritating.

"Please Adrian," I said slightly calmer.

He eyed me curiously, "Whatever has happened, she still taking the shadows from you."

My eyes lit up, "That means she's alive."

"For now," muttered Adrian concentrating.

I wanted to hit him but turned and put my head on Christian's shoulder.

I waited as patiently as I could. But then Adrian shot up.

"I can't do this here with you all pressuring me."

He stormed off out of the library.

"Adrian," I called after him.

"Sorry Lissa I'll give her the message if I can find her."

I watched him leave. He was pulling his cigarettes out of his jacket pocket as he opened the door.

I couldn't help it. I sobbed in to Christian's shoulder. He put his arms around me, "He'll find her. Rose is strong."

His words just made me cry harder, because according to everyone else, Rose was dead or Strigoi by now.

* * *

I hadn't heard all of the conversation between Lissa and Adrian but I heard enough.

I went out the side door I had entered in and rounded the corner. Adrian was leaning up against a wall smoking as usual.

"Adrian," I said. My voice was calmer than I felt.

Adrian jumped and stood away from the wall.

"Guardian Belikov," he said nodding.

I didn't say anything about the smoking, "You're trying to find Rose."

Something flashed in his eyes.

"I'm trying yes."

I closed my eyes, "And?"

"The only thing that I can find that relates closely to her is that when Lissa wanted to strangle me in there the shadows in her aura disappeared. That only happens when Rose takes them away. So she's conscious wherever she is."

Relief swept through me.

"But I don't know if that means that she's still a dhampir. She could possibly be a Strigoi."

I slammed him against the wall, "Do not say that about Rose!"

Adrian's face flashed with fear but then his cocky attitude took over. "You think you're the only one upset? I'm working my ass off trying to find her but I can't. What are you doing? Stalking the grounds going back to work just like the little Guardian you are."

I shoved him away, "If I knew where she was I would go after her."

"Even if it meant you would die?" Adrian asked raising an eyebrow.

I didn't answer.

"Would you go after her if you knew that you both would probably die?"

"Yes," I finally said.

I turned away from him and stalked across the lawn.

* * *

I dropped the cigarette and stamped it out with my foot. I was getting annoyed with everyone telling me to find Rose. I was doing it as soon as I heard she was gone.

I walked back to the room I was staying in. Vodka was calling my name.

I got my stash from under my bed and laid back. Out of reflex I let my mind relax.

_Rose, Rose_ I repeated.

My eyes closed and I was transferred to a meadow.

The sun was shining and I was wearing a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt. I didn't feel like being imaginative. I just wanted to find Rose.

The meadow was empty.

I walked aimlessly through the tall grass. I stayed in that state for longer than I thought I could hold it.

"Adrian?" someone whispered.

I whipped around. Rose was standing under a tree.

She looked terrible. Her jeans were ripped and muddy and her t-shirt was barely staying on her shoulders. She had a cut across her forehead and her tangled hair was everywhere.

"Rose," I said rushing over to her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

I looked at her blankly, "Rose where are you?"

She looked down, "I don't know the last thing I remember was being dragged in to a car."

"Maybe you can find out where you are and tell us later."

Her lip twitched, "I don't think so."

Shock filled my face, "What are you talking about Rose? We can save you."

She looked up at me. Tears were filling her eyes, "No Adrian no one can help me. I'm going back to the shadows."

I shook my head, "No Rose we can help you."

Rose did something out of the usual she grabbed my hand.

"Adrian will you do me a favor?"

I looked up at her, "Anything Rose."

She closed her eyes, "Please tell Lissa that I love her and that she was the best friend I've ever had. And tell her to be careful. Tell Eddie that I appreciate everything he's done for me these last few weeks and that I love him for it. Tell him to take care of Lissa for me. Tell Christian that he's a pain in the ass but I love him anyways. Tell him not to let people tell him he's not good enough for Lissa because he proved himself the other day when he fought." She shuddered and then went on. "Tell my mom that I wish we had had a better relationship and that I'm sorry for pushing her. And tell Dimitri that…" tears were streaming down her face, "Tell Dimitri that I love him. And that I will always love him. And that he was everything to me and that I wish we had had more time."

Her speech was breaking. The anguish in her eyes was heartbreaking.

"Rose please," I begged.

"Adrian thank you for everything. You kept a lot of secrets for me. You were a really good friend and I'll miss you."

I couldn't say anything she was telling me goodbye and asking me to tell everyone else goodbye for her.

Lissa's words started running through my mind.

"Lissa is trying to use the super compulsion to make the bond work for her."

Rose's eyes widened, "Tell her not to. It's too dangerous for her."

"I told her that you would say that."

"She was angry today, what for?"

"You took the shadows from her aura from wherever you are."

"That's not answering the question Adrian."

"She was mad at me because I've been trying to find you since we found out you were gone."

"How long have I been gone?"

"Two days," I said watching her intently. She was starting to fade.

She seemed to notice, "I'm waking up," she said more sorrowful then I could have imagined.

I moved closer to her and hugged her, "Little dhampir please hold on."

"It's time for me to go," she whispered.

Then she was gone and I was lying on my bed.

All traces of alcohol disappeared from my system as I jumped out of the bed. I raced out of the door slamming it behind me.

I went to the library first but they weren't there. So I went to the commons. I must be extremely lucky because they were walking just a bit ahead of me.

I ran to catch up.

"Adrian where…" Lissa didn't finish.

She and Christian were holding hands and Eddie was walking protectively off to the side. But when he caught sight of my face he was at Christian's side.

"Rose?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

I nodded.

Lissa gasped and came over to me, "Where is she?" she almost screamed.

I couldn't look at her but when I averted my eyes Dimitri was walking towards us.

I immediately looked away from him.

"I don't know where she is."

"You found Rose?" Dimitri asked joining the group of people around me.

"No I talked to Rose and not even that much."

"Is she okay?" Lissa asked hysterically.

I looked at the ground, "She's been better I imagine."

Dimitri grabbed my arm, "What did she say?"

I glared at him, "She wanted me to tell you _Lissa_," I said shaking his arm off of me, "That she loves you and that you were the best friend she ever had. And that you need to be careful."

"She's saying goodbye?" sobbed Lissa.

I ignored her and turned to Eddie, "She told me to tell you Eddie that she appreciated everything you've done for her these last few weeks and she loves you for it. And she wants you to take care of Lissa for her."

Christian was holding a sobbing Lissa now. "Christian she say's you're a pain in the ass but she loves you anyways. She also said for you not to listen when people say you aren't good enough for Lissa because you proved that you were when you fought against the Strigoi."

Christian looked slightly taken aback but nodded.

I turned on Dimitri next. I didn't care about secrets after he slammed me into the wall.

"Dimitri she says that she loves you and that she will always love you. And that you were everything to her and that she wishes that you two had had more time."

So the girl I cared about was in love with someone else. I knew she loved him and that he loved her. Might as well tell him exactly what she said while taking a bit of revenge at the same time. Now his secret was out, and I actually felt bad because as I was saying this Guardian Petrov was walking up to us.

All eyes were on Dimitri. His control looked like it was dangerously low as he glared at me.

His aura which was usually gold fluttered with his anger and his hurt. I realized just then how much he really did love Rose.

Lissa was staring between me and Dimitri. Christian and Eddie's jaw had dropped with my words.

"What?" Lissa finally muttered.

I looked at Dimitri, "I didn't mean to."

"You did," he said, "But I don't care."

Dimitri turned and walked off.

Guardian Petrov stared after him and then looked at me.

"What was that about?"

"Rose," I muttered wishing I could smoke.

"Rose? What about her?"

"She's being held somewhere. From what she said to me I don't think we can do anything for her. I think she's going to kill herself."

Lissa was openly sobbing, "We have to help her!"

Guardian Petrov looked at Lissa with grim eyes but turned back to me, "Do you know where she could be?"

I shook my head.

Petrov looked from me to where Dimitri had disappeared then took off after him.

"Please Adrian we have to do something," begged Lissa.

I looked back at her. Tears were streaming down her face.

"She said she was going back to the shadows and that we couldn't help her and not to try."

"But we have to! She can't ask us to forget her!"

"No but she asked us to let her go," I said calmer than I thought I could be.

Christian had to hold Lissa up by now, "Come on Lissa let's go back to the dorm."

She didn't say anything she just buried her head in his shoulder. He walked back in the direction I had come from half carrying her.

Eddie didn't follow immediately. He stared after them and looked back at me.

"Do you think you'll find her again?"

I shook my head.

He grimaced, "If you do tell her we all love her too."

Then he walked off after his charges.

**Poor Eddie. I feel so sorry for him. I wonder what Lissa's going to do? Oh and what about everyone hearing about Dimitri and Rose? Wonder what's going to happen?**

**Well thanks for reading! Review! Oh and thanks to the people who reviewed on chapter one!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay well here is chapter three. Hope y'all like it.**

3

The nauseous feeling was overwhelming. If I could have moved I would have keeled over.

My heart was heavy but I felt slightly better that I got to say goodbye. I just hoped that Lissa would stop and not try and find me.

The door in front of me opened and two men walked in. One was the burly one that had kicked Dimitri the other I didn't recognize. But he must have been Moroi before he changed.

"Look the blood whore is awake."

I wish I had fangs because they would so be bared menacingly right now.

"Just get her up and take her to Eric."

I kept the murderous look on my face the whole time but I silently called to Mason.

He appeared next to me, he was fading but I could still see him.

He gave me his all knowing look and I nodded.

His look grew sadder if that was possible and nodded back.

The burly one came over and untied me from the chair. He kept a firm hand on my arms as he stood me up. To firm of a hand, it felt like he was cutting my circulation off.

Instead of letting me try and walk he dragged me towards the door.

Trying to remember all of the control Dimitri had taught me I kept my mouth shot.

I was just happy that Mason walked, or glided, with me. The two Strigoi didn't seem to notice his presence at all.

They led me through a maze of hallways. They were all stone walls, stone floors, and etcetera. I tried to remember the lefts and the rights but soon gave up when we started going up and down stairs.

I was proud of myself, I hadn't spoken at all. The old me would have been yelling and screaming and putting up a fight. But I wanted to know where they were taking me and I already knew my fate.

They stopped or rather we stopped in front of a large wood door. It looked medieval.

Burly knocked and waited.

With his more acute hearing he must have heard someone say come in because I was now being dragged through the door.

The room was bigger than the one I had been locked in. It had the looks of an old library. Shelves and shelves lined the walls, no windows, and couches and chairs were distributed randomly. A huge (maple maybe) desk was at the back. Sitting at it was the blond Strigoi.

"Eric why are you in here?" asked burly bastard.

"Zacharie is not here so I'm in charge."

Burly made a sound in his throat that sounded like a growl. I was slightly amused, maybe burly would attack this Eric guy and I could slip away unnoticed.

Apparently not.

My other escort took me forward so I was standing in front of the big desk.

At first I hadn't realized what was behind the desk. Then I realized it was a mirror and I looked like crap. I was ten times smaller than the two Strigoi at my side and I had a cut across my forehead. My hair was matted and was sticking up in odd angles and my clothes were in tatters.

"Rose so nice of you to join us," greeted the blond Strigoi that I wanted to rip to pieces.

I didn't say anything but I nodded.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten to speak?"

"Sorry I'm not supposed to speak to strangers."

Yeah it was stupid but my brain was fried from lack of food and water.

"If I recall that was never your problem."

I shrugged, "Okay you caught me. I just don't talk much to things like you. I just kill them."

The burly one tightened his grip on my arm. I glared at him and he bared his teeth at me. If only I could get the stake in my shoe. A weird feeling caused me to look away from him back to Eric. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

"So we had a deal to mete out am I right?"

I considered, I had just said that so he wouldn't kill Dimitri.

"Depends on the deal," I lied.

"The Dragomir Princess is what we want."

"Sorry then I can't help you."

The blond Strigoi, Eric, glared at me. "We let your precious friends live now you are going to return the favor."

"I don't think so, sorry."

"I say we just have her for lunch," said the Strigoi to my left.

Eric held up his hand, "No I think we should make her join us, awaken her. Think of what we would add to our army. A highly trained dhampir is just what we need."

The look of disgust must have shown on my face because Eric smiled.

"Of course you can keep your life if you give us the princess."

I didn't answer.

"Of course there are other things a pretty little dhampir like you is capable of."

Burly seemed to be excited about that idea.

Control, control, control, I repeated in my head. Mason's vague form was still with me and his expression was murderous.

"So what will it be Rose. Hand over the princess or live your life as a blood whore."

* * *

I hadn't stopped crying since we met Adrian outside. I was vaguely aware that Christian was holding me on one of the couches in the lounge.

"She can't do this," I whispered hoarsely.

Christian tightened his arms around me, "Rose knows what she's doing."

"But she's killing her self I can't let her do that."

"I don't think anyone could ever stop Rose when she set her mind on something," he said softly.

That reminded me, "Dimitri."

"I did not see that coming at all," he admitted.

"I didn't either, she never told me."

I felt bad for being slightly mad at Rose for not telling me about Dimitri. But then I wanted to hit myself for not realizing it.

I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on Rose and on the bond. I wanted to slip in to her like she did so many times with me.

I prayed that I could do it and maybe find out where she was.

I didn't realize it when I slipped away.

I didn't recognize anything I was staring at. There was man standing in front of me and two people were gripping my arms tightly. There was a mirror in front of us and the image blasted me back.

I sat up gasping.

"What's wrong Lissa?" Christian asked concerned.

"I did it I slipped in to Rose," I said excitedly.

"What? I was just talking to you," he said confused.

"Oh my God I have to get back. She looks terrible. There were three Strigoi with her somewhere in like a library."

I tried concentrating and I felt it was easier. Like something wanted me to see what was happening.

I was aware of Christian sitting beside me. I was also aware that Eddie and some other people were now crowded around me.

But now I was looking out of Rose's eyes. She had a peculiar view of the world. She was staring straight at the Strigoi in front of her and she was angry but in control.

The man in front of Rose (us?) spoke, "So we had a deal to mete out am I right?"

I repeated it for some reason so the others could hear what was happening. Christian gripped my hand.

Rose was thinking about Dimitri but then spoke, "Depends on the deal."

The other's had gasped and if they hadn't I wouldn't have noticed that the voice out of my mouth back surrounded by my friends was Rose's purely. It was like she was speaking out of me.

"The Dragomir Princess is what we want."

I said the words in my voice and it felt completely wrong. The Strigoi wanted me and were going to use Rose.

"Sorry then I can't help you," I found myself and Rose saying.

A name came to my head, Eric that was the blond guy's name.

"We let your precious friends live now you are going to return the favor."

"I don't think so sorry." Rose was getting anxious and it was transferring to me.

Someone to my left spoke, "I say we just have her for lunch." I felt Rose's sudden urge to kill the man beside her. I had never felt that kind of anger before and it was slightly frightening, but Rose was used to it.

Eric spoke again, "No I think we should make her join us, awaken her. Think of what we would add to our army. A highly trained dhampir is just what we need."

Some one back in the lounge was getting upset. I couldn't see through my eyes just Rose's. I was stuck in her body.

If I had been Rose I would be terrified. But she seemed to be in control of those kinds of feelings. She just felt disgust.

"Of course you can keep your life if you give us the princess," said Eric with a smile. I repeated it with a grimace.

Rose didn't answer she just stared at her reflection.

Eric again spoke, "Of course there are other things a pretty little dhampir like you is capable of."

Now I was disgusted. And apparently so were some of my spectators.

Rose was trying to calm herself down she kept repeating control in her head. Then she looked at something that made me almost slip back in to myself. Mason was standing a few feet from her. Mason the guy who was dead.

I told the people surrounding me this. Silence was all I heard from them. From Eric it was another story.

"So what will it be Rose. Hand over the princess or live your life as a blood whore."

Rose didn't answer but Mason moved closer. I just watched like I was in a trance.

_Mason get ready,_ Rose thought. Rose's voice however came out of my mouth. All Mason did was move behind her. I watched the reflection in the mirror. He was standing with his hands hovering next to her waist.

Rose licked her lips and then smiled at Eric, "Screw you."

Then everything went crazy.

A huge black pillar of smoke rose behind Rose. She wasn't afraid at all. But the smoke turned in to a huge archway. I saw everything in the mirror. The expression on her face was accepting. And it confused me.

The look on Eric's face was fear. He didn't know what was happening and I felt kind of smug about that, or Rose did.

The Strigoi let Rose go and Mason grabbed her and pulled her through the arch.

_Goodbye Lissa_, Rose thought. She had known I was there.

It took me a second to realize I was screaming.

Christian was holding on to me trying to shake me out of the bond.

"Lissa come back!" he said hysterically.

Finally I did. But the image of the black archway was still imprinted in my mind.

"What happened?" asked Eddie. He was kneeling beside me. The others standing loosely around us were Guardian Hathaway, Petrov, and Belikov. Adrian was leaning against the wall and was paler than usual. He was staring at the floor and looked terrified. And Professor Kirova was also there she was staring at me with confusion.

Rose's mom had tears in her eyes and Dimitri looked stoic as usual but I could detect the sadness that was filling him.

"What happened," repeated Eddie.

"I don't know," I whispered. "This big black arch thing came out of nowhere and Mason pulled her through it."

Adrian made a faint noise. Everyone turned to him.

He looked around at everyone. They were waiting for an explanation.

He sighed, "The shadows. She went back to the Shadow World, the Land of the Dead. She's dead."

He slumped to the floor.

"No, she can't be dead," I said with my voice catching.

Rose's mom glared at Dimitri and then left the room.

Dimitri was visibly paling as he was standing there.

Eddie just looked lost for words. He had already lost one friend now he was losing another.

I just wanted to cry. I knew she was gone. I could feel the loss in my heart. I had seen her die, or whatever she had done. But some part of me was thankful that she hadn't been turned in to a Strigoi.

I looked at Christian and he stared back at me. Even though he and Rose never really got along his eyes were red. He hugged me to him and let me ruin his shirt with my tears.

Eddie even put his arms around me. He shook with what I figured were sobs.

But the worse was Dimitri. When I looked up from Christian, Dimitri was just standing there. He was staring at the wall and tears were running down his face.

Kirova and Alberta were talking silently and were completely ignoring Dimitri.

I tried to get away and Christian and Eddie and they realized what I was doing and let me get up.

I walked over to Dimitri and stood in front of him. He didn't look at me so I put my hand on his shoulder.

He flinched.

"Dimitri," I tried to say but he stopped me.

"No," and he stepped away from me. He went straight for the nearest exit and left.

Seeing his face up close just made me burst in to new tears.

**Okay I know what you are thinking so don't think to hard about what's happened. I can't say anthing vital but I can say not to worry.**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books. Just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay well here is chapter four. I was planning on posting it a lot earlier but I ended up adding a section on to it. So read and enjoy.**

4

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I can't believe it. I don't believe it. I won't believe it. Rose was dead. My Roza was dead. I would never get to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her ever again. What I would do just to see her one more time.

"Belikov!" someone shouted after me.

I didn't stop. I just kept walking.

Hurried footsteps told me that Alberta was running to catch up to me. She grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop.

"Belikov explain your self," she asked pointedly.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I said looking over her shoulder.

"From what I've heard you are taking an 'extended vacation' since when do you take vacation?"

"I'm going to see my mother," I lied.

Alberta's nostrils flared, "I am not going to get in to the information I've learned these last few days. But Dimitri Rose is gone. You're going to have to move on. She did a great thing and she should be remembered for it yes, but she's gone you can't torture yourself over it."

I threw my arms in the air, "There are some things that take time to get over Alberta."

I didn't wait for her to comment I went straight to my room to retrieve my duffel. Then I set out towards the parking lot that my borrowed car was at.

* * *

Why does my head hurt? I'm dead. My head shouldn't hurt. Nothing should hurt. So why in the hell does my head hurt?

* * *

"Lissa let me in," called Christian from outside my door.

I didn't want to get up from my bed but I did anyways. Christian was standing there with a paper bag. I tried to smile at him as he walked pass me.

I shut the door and locked it and went back to my bed. "What's in the bag?"

"A gift from Adrian," he said taking the bottle out.

I grimaced and took it from him.

"Is this blood wine?" I asked him reading the label.

"Probably," he said sitting with me on the bed.

"This stuff is expensive."

"I don't think Adrian really cares about pricings, he looks terrible."

I closed my eyes and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Oh and Dimitri left."

"What!" I asked sitting up.

"Yeah he took vacation and just packed up and left."

"When's he coming back?" I asked.

"I don't think he is," Christian said opening the bottle of wine.

"He has too, he's my Guardian."

"I don't think he's going to be anymore. I mean I saw him as he was leaving. He didn't look good."

I still couldn't believe it. Rose and Dimitri, how did I miss that?

"I still can't believe Dimitri and Rose," Christian said taking a swig of the wine. "This stuff is good," he mumbled.

I didn't say anything. I had already examined everything. And now I noticed. Rose had always acted different around Dimitri, like she was always thinking if Dimitri would approve but that's all I ever thought of. I never would have guessed they were _involved._

I took the bottle from Christian and tried it for my self. It was good. The blood mixed perfectly with the wine.

"She knew I was in her head," I whispered.

We hadn't spoken about what I had seen, because mostly no one wanted to believe it. I sure didn't want to believe it.

"I'm sorry," he said trying to come up with something to say.

"I don't understand. She didn't die she just went through that arch thing."

"From what Adrian said that arch was the gate to the shadow land or whatever."

I didn't want to think about it.

"What's bad is that I didn't believe Rose when she started saying she was seeing ghosts. Then when I was in her head I saw Mason. He looked pale but he was there."

"I didn't want to believe her either, but I think I might have. I mean I haven't seen anything that would make Rose look the way she did that day Stan attacked us."

Thinking of Rose hurt. I took another drink from the bottle.

I don't know when but sometime after Christian and I finished off the wine we fell asleep.

Life just seemed dull without Rose. Christian hadn't been caught leaving my room at three in the morning so that was a big relief.

School started back a week after the attack, Kirova wanted to try and get things back to normal.

But nothing would ever be normal again, because now the Moroi had fought with the dhampirs. There had been a lot of talk about what would be said to the Royal Court. In the end Kirova just told the Queen what had happened, she was not happy.

Christian though was happy. He had spoken with the Guardians about getting a tattoo on the back of his neck like the rest of the Guardians that had fought. At first they didn't take him seriously. Then Rose's mom said that the Moroi who fought had every right. So Christian had a star that I couldn't remember the name of. No one could really keep count on who killed how many so all the fighters had been given the mark that meant they had been in a battle and killed many.

We were walking hand in hand towards our next class. Eddie was following us as usual. The field exam had been technically called off but the novices still had to follow their assigned Moroi because now the threat of actual attacks was high.

So I guessed that meant that everyone technically passed.

The ones that were still alive anyways.

There had been a huge memorial a few days after the attack. A giant piece of marble was now in the main quad. It had every person's name that had been lost etched in to it with a little note about them.

We had to walk pass it so as usual we stopped. There were a lot of names. But my eyes soon found the one I searched for.

_Rosemarie Hathaway_

_No words could describe what she did. She sacrificed herself to save the ones she loved._

No matter how many times I would read that it would always make me cry.

* * *

I'm dead so why do I hurt. I must be in Hell. I didn't do anything to get in to Heaven.

_Rose seriously?_

I froze. Who was talking? I wasn't talking because I'm dead. Dead people aren't supposed to talk.

"Rose, open your eyes," the voice said again. I recognized the voice but I wasn't opening my eyes.

That's when I noticed something. My head hurt yeah but that's all that hurt, my arms no longer hurt, my legs were no longer sore, and the nauseous feeling was gone. And I was lying in grass.

Why was I lying in grass? I was in that Strigoi infested hellhole. Now I'm in grass. What the hell is going on?

"Rose, come on," said another voice.

I peeked through my lashes. A pale face was hovering over me. And more and more faces appeared.

"About time Rose," the figure said holding out his hand.

I opened my eyes all the way to see Mason.

Out of habit I grabbed his hand and he pulled me to my feet. As soon as I stood up my headache went away. I wasn't going to complain.

I looked around. This place looked familiar. It was from the dream I had with Adrian.

"Where are we?" I asked timidly looking at all of the pale faces surrounding me.

Mason smiled, "I don't know what you would call this place. It's just a big meadow."

"I can see that," I said snippily.

Mason smiled, "I was wondering when the old Rose would make a comeback.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I'm dead right?" I asked.

A few of the faces, people, around us must have lost interest because they walked away. Others stayed beside us and I recognized one of them. They were the Guardians that had died in the caves.

Mason tightened his grip on my hand, "Sort of."

"How can I be _sort of_ dead?"

"I have no idea. I think it has something to do with the fact that when someone dies their spirit separates from their body. Your spirit is still in your body because you didn't physically die."

"But I already died before," I said thinking of the car accident.

"Yeah and then your spirit went back."

"I don't understand, so I'm not dead?"

"I guess not I don't know."

I sat back down. "I don't want to think about that."

"Okay," he said sitting down in front of me.

The Guardians that had stayed around either walked off together or sat down close to us. I eyed them curiously.

"So do you know where we are?" I asked again.

"Nope not a clue, I just know this place is awesome."

"How?" I asked seriously doubting that anyplace without Dimitri could be awesome.

"Whenever you want something all you have to do is imagine it and it appears."

I stared at him.

"Don't look at me like that," he said narrowing his eyes.

"Like what?"

"Like you don't believe me, I mean come on you see ghosts and you don't believe in a bit more magic?"

"I don't believe things in till I see them," I pointed out.

"Fine then," he said looking directly at me.

He just looked at me for more time than I was comfortable with.

"What are you looking at?" I finally asked getting annoyed.

He smiled, "Just imagining you in an outfit that I've been dying to see you in."

I glared at him and then looked down at myself.

"What the hell Mason?" I said looking down at my self.

The ratty clothes I had been wearing had disappeared. Now I was in an outfit that I would have died for in the real world but never would have worn because of the rumors it would immediately spread.

"What do you think?" Mason asked looking pleased with him self.

"I think I look like a Gothic wannabe."

"I think you look hot," he said giving me his perfect smile.

I wrinkled my nose. "It's not my style."

"Sure it is you look amazing in it."

I couldn't help but look down again. Mason must be having some sick fantasies about me.

The outfit was mostly black. The only color was the purple corset top. The top or whatever you wanted to call it had this little black jacket thing that was actually really cute. I was actually surprised that it was really comfortable, even the black boots.

"Where in the hell did you even come up with this?" I asked him standing up.

"Van Helsing," he said with a smile.

"I don't remember Hugh Jackman wearing this?" I said looking down again. I really wished I had a mirror.

Before the thought even left my mind a mirror appeared in front of me.

Mason smiled, "Cool huh?"

"Sure," I said looking at my reflection. The first thing I noticed about myself was the fact that the cut on my forehead was gone. And I was paler than usual. Not as pale as Mason or anything but like I had stayed inside for a long time.

"So is there another Van Helsing movie I haven't seen where he's a cross dresser?"

Mason laughed and went to stand behind me. "Nah it's just what Anna was wearing except I made it purple instead of red."

"Anna?" I asked thinking of St. Vladimir's shadow kissed Guardian.

"Yeah you know…oh…forgot about the Vladimir thing. You can change it if you want."

I would never admit to him but I loved the outfit. It fit me in so many ways. And it was comfortable which you wouldn't guess at first glance.

So I changed the subject, "All you have to do is think of what you want and it appears?"

"Yeah that's about it, and no it won't bring people here."

I grimaced as he caught my meaning. "What about food and water and stuff?" I asked him trying to push what I really wanted to ask him off.

"Don't need it here. I mean if you want to you can but there's no need. You don't even have to sleep. We're just stuck here for who knows how long."

I looked around. The Guardian's were still around us. I recognized one of the closer ones as Allan. I hadn't known him very well but I had seen him die.

I had to look away from him because he looked upset.

There were so many questions I wanted to ask but one major one popped in to my head.

"How long have I been here? I mean how long has it been since I…died?"

Mason seemed to have to think a bit on this.

"I'm not really sure. Time doesn't run the same here as it does back in the real world. A year could go by there and it would only feel like a day to us."

I gulped, a year?

"Mason how long have I been here?" I asked more urgently.

Mason seemed to look around at the people scattered around us, "Uh a few days maybe."

"How long has it been in the real world?" I said through my teeth.

He bit his lip.

I grabbed his shirt. His dhampir reflexes still worked because he soon got away from my grip. So we ended up fighting.

He dodged one of my punches and tripped me. It was a dirty move but I knocked his feet from under him. Then I rushed up to him and pressed my elbow in to his throat, "How long has it been?"

He grunted and tried to push my arms away. I lessened the pressure, "How long?" I repeated.

"Two months," he gasped.

I froze, "What?" I stuttered.

He took advantage of my hesitation and grabbed my arms and sat up. "Two months."

**Eek! Two months! And the outfit she's in, I have no idea but the outfit that Anna wears in Van Helsing (when Van Helsing first meets her) just kept going through my mind. I think it fits Rose pretty well. (Oh and the purple thing will come up later in the story.) Anyways thanks for reading! Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay here is chapter five! Yay. I really like this chapter. Oh and thanks for all the reviews guys! Hope I get a lot for this one...**

5

"How is that possible?" I asked Mason appalled. It couldn't be true. He said I was only here for a few days. There was no way that two months had gone by.

"I don't know. I told you time moves differently here than it does there."

"How do you know about _there_," I asked him.

He smiled, "Another cool perk about this place."

I looked at him quizzically.

The smile that I loved so much just got wider. "I'll show you."

He moved to sit next to me. He brushed against me and I shuddered. He felt like ice.

He stopped and looked at me with confused eyes and then shook his head. He focused on the ground in front of us.

I was about to ask him what he was doing but he started to do something.

He drew a square in the dirt with his hand.

I watched like I was in a trance because the piece of dirt was changing colors. It turned transparent then it flashed several times before it stopped and I was looking at a stretch of hallway.

"What the hell?" I muttered.

"Language Rose," Mason whispered.

I grimaced, "What is this?"

"Well I don't know what it's called so I just call it a window. It let's you see what ever you want in the real world."

I was instantly excited. This window could let me see Dimitri. But what I was looking at now looked familiar.

"Is that the school?" I asked looking closer.

"Yeah, I thought you might want to check in on Lissa."

A pang of guilt went through me. I hadn't even thought about Lissa first. But now I realized that I hadn't been feeling her emotions. I tried concentrating on them and got a faint feel of what they were, excitement, anxiety, sorrow, grief. She was a complete mess.

Then I saw her. She was walking with Christian with Eddie following them.

"I'm glad you're going to be with us at Court," she said to Eddie.

Eddie nodded, "Yeah I guess it will be sort of cool."

Christian put his arm around Lissa's shoulder as they turned out of the hall in to the quad. A giant piece of stone was now in the middle. I didn't remember it being there before.

They walked to it and Lissa stopped and stared at it.

"Hey cousin," said an all too familiar voice. Adrian walked around the giant stone thing.

Christian seemed to tense so that relationship hadn't changed. Eddie gave him a brief nod and Lissa tried to smile.

"So are you going back to Court too?" Christian asked flatly.

Adrian nodded, "My dear Aunt wishes for my deeply intellectual and just plain wonderful presence."

Christian snorted and looked away from Adrian.

Lissa had heard about the Queen's secret plan to marry her off to Adrian. She thought it was ludicrous and she would not let it happen.

Lissa started staring at the big stone thing again so I looked at it more closely.

"Oh my god," I said leaning closer.

My eyes skimmed over the names that were etched in to it. Most of them I recognized including my own.

"That's pretty cool," Mason added reading the little note under my name.

My immediate thoughts were that they put _Rosemarie_ instead of Rose.

"Sure I guess," I muttered reading the little note. I was actually surprised it didn't say anything like _Rose was insane_ or _Rose was always out of control._

I guess actually seeing Lissa strengthened the bond after its apparent months of dormancy. Black feelings started welling in her subconscious. She was blaming herself for what happened to me.

I acted reflexively. I started to try and take the bad from her. She shouldn't blame her self for me dying or whatever I did. I chose my fate.

I didn't know if it would work considering I'm in the world of the dead or shadow world whatever you wanted to call it.

But I felt it slip from her just as easily as it did when I was alive, or in the real world.

Except this time I didn't lose control over my anger. I felt it flare up but I quickly squashed it.

When I looked back at the window Adrian's eyes had widened and he had gone pale. He was staring avidly at Lissa. Then he started looking around wildly. I didn't understand at first but then his eyes seemed to lock with mine.

It was like he could see me.

He started to say something but I didn't get to hear. The window closed and I was staring at grass.

"Mason what happened?" I asked touching the ground where the window had been. It was solid.

"I don't know. I didn't close it."

"I did," said a voice from behind me.

We both turned to see the speaker.

I couldn't believe it. Lissa's father was standing behind us.

* * *

"Adrian what's wrong?" I asked. Adrian had lost all the color in his face. He was staring at something over my shoulder. I turned to look but there was nothing.

"What were you feeling just a minute ago?" he finally muttered.

I gave him a quizzical look, "What?"

"What were you feeling just a second ago? Angry, upset?"

I looked down, "Nothing."

"It wasn't nothing! What were you feeling?"

Adrian had gone in to crazy mode. Just a weird side affect from Spirit.

"I don't know. I guess I was thinking about how it was sort of my fault."

Christian rubbed my shoulders. He didn't have to ask to know what I was talking about, "It wasn't your fault Lissa."

I smiled at him. He was always trying to make me feel better.

I turned back to Adrian. He was still staring over my shoulder, "What's wrong?" I asked.

His lip twitched, "Nothing."

"That wasn't nothing?" said Christian snidely.

Adrian didn't say anything. He just shook his head and turned back in to _normal_ Adrian. "I don't know something weird with your aura. I never saw it that color before."

I couldn't help but wonder. I still wasn't very good at seeing auras but I could kind of detect them. "What was wrong with it?"

"Nothing seriously, just a little tinge of black," he said shrugging it off.

* * *

I stared wide eyed at him. Lissa's father looked just like I remembered. Well except for the fact that he was really pale just like Mason. He even sort of looked transparent.

"Mr. Dragomir?" I stuttered. I didn't know what to call him anymore.

He smiled, "I would say it's nice to see you Rose but under these circumstances I don't think it's appropriate."

I looked around and was startled to see that there was no longer anyone in the meadow.

"They're still here, just invisible so we have a bit more privacy," said a silvery voice. Lissa's mother was now standing beside Mr. Dragomir.

All this ghost stuff was starting to make my head hurt again.

"I don't understand," I finally said.

Mrs. Dragomir smiled at me. "Nothing is ever simple so I'll just tell you. You have to go back."

Her words were crisp and sharp. Her face was completely serious.

"Go back?" I struggled to say.

"You have to protect Lissa. You're the only one who can," she said again.

Mr. Dragomir put his hand on her shoulder. She was shaking.

Mason asked the question I was thinking, "How can she go back?"

Mrs. Dragomir's eyes flitted to him then back to me. "There are ways and it helps that you aren't dead."

Her tone hit me like a ton of bricks, "Not dead?"

"No you aren't dead."

"But I'm here in this land of the dead place."

Mr. Dragomir took over, "Yes you're here but everyone here left a body and their spirits came here. You left no body you came here voluntarily. You're the only one who would be able to do that because your spirit has already visited this place before. You are tied to this place. You could probably come and go as you please, but at a price."

A price. Great now being dead came with strings attached.

"But I thought I was dead," I whispered.

"You were once, but I don't think you are now."

I was so confused. "But I have to be dead to be here in _the land of the dead_."

They just stared at me.

"So let me try and get this straight. I died in the car crash."

They nodded.

"But Lissa brought me back. Using Spirit she called my spirit back to my body from the land of the dead. So did that bring me back to life or make me undead like the Strigoi?"

Just mentioning the word Strigoi made the Dragomir's flinch. Mrs. Dragomir looked like she wanted to rip something apart. And that was not usual for her at all.

"I don't know about that," admitted Mr. Dragomir. "I remember you being here for a second then just disappearing. But you were always easy to watch. We've been watching you and Lissa." He stuttered over Lissa's name but then recovered, "When you killed the Strigoi you were clearer. We could even contact you."

I remembered being bombarded by the shadows on the plane. They must be demented if they thought that was _contacting_. That was more like "Let's scare Rose shitless!"

"At first we had wanted you to come back because you belonged here. I don't know why but you were supposed to come here."

I remembered them beckoning for me on the plane. And then when we were at the caves. When I got the realization that I was supposed to come back.

"Then when you finally realized everything became clearer. The threat had been slightly put off. You giving up your life in the real world then had put a stop to it. But now it's back and you have to go back and protect Lissa."

I just stared at them. They were basically telling me that I got a _get out of death free card_. Thoughts swam through my mind.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"We don't exactly know. We just know that a storm is coming," Mrs. Dragomir said clutching to her husbands hand.

That sentence brought back memories of the fight. The code word that set the Guardian's in to action had been _buria_ which was Russian for storm.

"So I'm going back to the real world?" I asked failing miserably at hiding my excitement.

"I don't know what will happen but I think you will be able to travel between the worlds at will. Since you are connected to both of them," Mr. Dragomir said in a very philosophic way.

"How am I tied to the real world if my body and spirit are here?"

"The bond you have with Lissa and…" Mrs. Dragomir started to say. She looked at Mason and then looked back at me.

I instantly got it. Dimitri. She was talking about Dimitri. And she was protecting Mason from that delicate subject.

Now I was really excited. If I got to go back I could be with Dimitri. Sure Kirova being who she was would probably not let me graduate since apparently I've been dead for a few months. I had missed it. But I was eighteen so nothing could technically hold me and Dimitri back….

"But I don't know if you've realized but you've changed a lot. Your appearance isn't exactly what it once was."

I looked down. I thought I looked the same. Sure I was still in the outfit Mason had dreamed up. (And secretly I hoped if I went back to the real world I got to keep it.) But other than that I didn't think I looked different.

Mrs. Dragomir seemed to understand what I was thinking.

She opened her hand palm up and an old fashion hand mirror appeared.

She handed it to me and I took it. I gave her a puzzling look then I looked at my face.

I gasped. What the hell?

When the full length mirror I had made appear earlier the only thing I had noticed besides how good the clothes looked on me was that I was pale. Now I could see that wasn't the only thing that had changed.

My eyes had changed. They were still the same color and all but now there was a ring of purple around the outside. I shuddered thinking it was oddly similar to the Strigoi. Except mine was purple and theirs was red.

Now I understood why Mason had made the color in my outfit purple.

I glowered at him in the mirror and I saw his lips turn up in to a smile.

I looked back at my reflection and studied myself more closely just in case I had missed any other changes. Oddly enough I had missed one of the biggest ones. My skin was paler, but not as bad as the Dragomir's or Mason. I would probably get my tan back as soon as I got back out in the sun. The other major change was my hair. It had always looked black but now it was. And even better it had somehow acquired purple highlights, or rather the bottom half of my hair was purple. Why in the hell would my hair just spontaneously decided to darken and turn purple? But I had to admit, it looked totally badass. Kind of like flames.

"Did you do this?" I asked tossing the mirror at Mason.

His smile widened, "No but I was surprised you didn't notice. I was beginning to think that you must have done it before you came here."

"Why in the world would I dye my hair? When would I even have time?"

He shrugged.

I turned back to the Dragomir's.

Before I even opened my mouth they denied any claim to my new hair colors.

I didn't quite believe them.

"We don't have a lot of time. You have to go back now but not straight to Lissa," Mr. Dragomir said urgently looking around.

"But I thought you said I had to protect Lissa?"

"You do!" snapped Mrs. Dragomir. "But you have to stop the Strigoi that are getting together."

My eyes widened. I had just found out that I wasn't technically dead and I was going to get to go back. Now she was telling me I had to go take out a group of Strigoi. That was like walking in to my own death. Again.

"But I don't have a stake," I complained.

Mr. Dragomir held out his hand and something that looked like a hilt to a dagger appeared.

He handed it to me.

I looked at it and then back to him. It was a hilt and that was it.

"Uh I don't think this will do anything, it's kind of missing the pointy end."

Mason rolled his eyes and Mrs. Dragomir made a little impatient noise in her throat.

"Don't worry," soothed Mr. Dragomir. "When the time comes you'll know what to do with it."

I just gave him a blank look and then shrugged. I slipped it into a holster type thing on my hip.

Then I stared. That hadn't been there before.

"Is this like a fully stocked weaponry meadow? Whatever your needs, battle clothes, swords, daggers, stakes, we have it all?"

Mason rolled his eyes again, "Apparently they just want us to be comfortable here."

A noise sounded from behind us.

Mrs. Dragomir jumped, "It's almost time!" she nearly shrieked.

Mr. Dragomir grabbed my shoulders. It was just like when Mason had brushed against me. Except it felt like Mr. Dragomir's hands were barely there.

"Listen to me Rose. You will know what to do when you go out there. I promise that. You're instincts will kick in. You have to kill that one named Eric. If you can't get him now you have to keep following him. You have to kill his allies and you have to kill him. But the one that is the most important is Zacharie. You'll know who he is when you see him. He's the one behind it all."

The noise sounded again and a black pillar of smoke, just like the one that had appeared to transfer me here, rose up out of nothing.

Mrs. Dragomir came up to me and grasped my right arm, "Protect Lissa. You're the only one who can save her."

A burning seared through my arm and I jumped away from her.

I looked down half expecting to see the charred remains of my arm but I got another surprise.

The Dragomir crest, the dragon, was etched in to my skin (apparently purple is popular, I would have to ask about that when I got the chance). The head was in my palm and its body wrapped around my wrist and went halfway to my elbow.

I looked back at her and she smiled.

"A Promise Mark," she said. "It will show that you are Lissa's Guardian."

I just stared blankly at them. I couldn't process all of this. I was basically getting kicked out of the shadow world (or land of the dead, whatever).

"Wait I'm going now?" I asked slightly surprised that my voice cracked.

"You have to go now!" urged Mrs. Dragomir pushing me towards the smoke.

I raised my arms in exasperation noticing that I was wearing a long black jacket now, Mason was having to much fun playing dress up.

"But where am I going!" I tried to shout.

"Back to where you were!" she shouted after me.

That's when I realized the Shadow World was fading. I was completely surrounded in the black smoke.

And then I fell.

**I feel sorry for any Strigoi that get in Rose's way now. She'll be lethal. Thanks for reading! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: The previous chapters have one of these.**

**Okay I know it's late but my internet decided to call in sick today. This is the first time it's worked all day! Well technically it's tomorrow...but I finished it yesterday...okay this is just confusing. Hope you like this chapter.**

6

Blackness surrounded me. It took me several minutes to actually see what was in front of me.

I was in a huge room. The ceilings were so high I had to crane my neck to see it. There were two huge stairways at both ends that intertwined at the top.

And there were Guardians and Strigoi everywhere. And that wasn't even the weird part. I was in the middle surrounded in that black mist thing and no one seemed to notice.

I know that Guardian's paid attention to the Strigoi that they were fighting but I mean even I would notice the big pillar of smoke.

But I was being ignored by everyone.

The smoke stayed around me and I had a funny feeling that if I stepped out of it that it would disappear.

Just then a Guardian threw a Strigoi down in front of me. She had the stake in his heart before he could move.

I was startled that I recognized her. It was Meredith, one of the few girl dhampirs in my class. Another Strigoi came after her. He wrapped his arms around her and she pushed them off. I was secretly cheering for her because of the awesome kick she sent towards him. She was doing pretty well.

I looked around and counted. There were at least eleven Strigoi here and only about eight Guardians. I scanned the area looking for that blond Strigoi, Eric. According to the Dragomir's I had to kill him. And I wouldn't regret killing him.

But there was no sign of him.

All of a sudden Meredith was thrown towards me. She slipped right through me. I gasped but she got up not even noticing that she was surrounded in the black mist.

But she was too late. The Strigoi, which I recognized as the burly bastard, grabbed her and started to bring his fangs down on to her neck.

That's when I acted. I grabbed the hilt thing without even thinking. I burst out of the mist and found that my assumption had been true. It dissipated and I was solid. Burly's eyes widened and he hesitated. That was all I needed.

I held the hilt towards him and watched amazed as silver extended from it and transformed itself in to a stake. I didn't need any more time. I thrust it in to his face.

He screamed in agony and dropped Meredith who fell to the floor.

I ripped the stake from his face and shoved it into his heart.

He collapsed and I turned to the rest of the fight. The Guardian's were losing. More Strigoi had appeared and another Guardian went down.

But no one had been expecting the new and improved and totally badass Rose to come.

I rushed forward towards the next Strigoi. He hadn't been expecting me. The stake went in cleanly and I moved on to the next.

Some smaller part of my brain noticed the fact that I seemed to be moving a lot faster than I ever had before. My reflexes had improved drastically and that was saying something. Being a dhampir meant that my reflexes were better than average. But now they were even better.

The people in the room seemed to notice me now, probably because I was flying from Strigoi to Strigoi. I had already cut down four when I met a more difficult one.

He had a sword and it vaguely reminded me of Spokane. He had already killed a Guardian and to me that was too many.

I rounded in on him. His eyes widened and I detected a small hint of terror. But that was quickly hidden when he swung the sword towards my head. I ducked and struck out with my stake. He dodged it and tried to cut my arm off. I got out of the way barely. We squared off again and he started swinging. The sword got to close to me and I held up the stake.

Another unexpected thing happened. My stake looked like it was growing. It grew into a sword. How badass is that? The next time I saw the Dragomir's I was so thanking them for this awesome weapon. To think I had scoffed at it before.

I had the satisfaction of seeing that fear run through his eyes once again. I brought the sword back and did an awesome impersonation of Zorro.

His face twisted in to hate and he started at me again. I had never trained with a sword but I had learned to use any weapon I could find. He was pushing me towards the stairs so I found myself climbing them.

Before I knew it we were at the top. He was throwing more and more swings and I was barely blocking them. He seemed to think up a plan because now he started pushing me towards the overhang. Goddamn the smart Strigoi.

My back was pressed against the railing and it was getting harder to maneuver. Then he made a mistake.

He lunged at me just as I moved. He had overestimated. I plunged the sword up through his chest. His eyes bulged and then he fell towards me. I stood up and pulled the sword out.

The sight I got when I stood up was not comforting. Four Strigoi were coming towards me. Two of them were blocking each set of stairs.

I looked over my shoulder. There were still Guardian's and Strigoi fighting. The floor didn't look very far. I looked back at the Strigoi they had all of my exits blocked off.

I don't know what came over me but I put the sword back in my holster and leapt over the balcony. It was like slow motion. I was able to turn so my feet were under me. I figured the landing would be the hard part. But I landed like I had just jumped a foot rather than twelve.

I pulled my sword back out and ran towards another Strigoi that was fighting with a Guardian. I plunged the sword in through his back. I didn't wait to see who the Guardian was. The four Strigoi that were upstairs were now coming down. I ran to the right side and met the first. He was down before the second got to the landing.

And (yes I was being smug) I killed him too.

I turned looking for more. A red tint had taken over my eyes. I was going to kill every Strigoi here.

But there weren't any.

Three Guardians' had met the other two on the left side. And the rest of the Guardian's had finished off the ones down here.

Now everyone was just standing around and staring. And most were staring at me.

I just stood there with my sword half raised, probably with a mad look in my eyes.

I recognized a few of the Guardian's surrounding me and apparently they recognized me too.

Alberta was one of them.

Her eyes had widened and she started walking towards me.

"Rose?" she asked.

I wanted to say something but I felt a weird sensation. Like someone was calling me.

I looked over my shoulder and a hint of that black mist was starting to creep towards me.

I looked back to Alberta. She hadn't noticed the mist but she looked like she didn't know what to do.

I bit my lip, I was trying to say something but the mist was at my ankles and I felt it tug me backwards.

I found myself spinning away from that room.

And then I got thrown back in the stupid meadow.

* * *

I stared at the ceiling of my room. I hadn't been back here in years. At first I hadn't decided to come here. But when I told Alberta that I was going here so I decided to.

My mother had screamed when she saw me. Then my sister's came running.

She had smothered me with every possible thing I could ever want. She cooked all of my favorite food and even gave me my room that my youngest sister had taken over.

I had only been here for the last week. I had mostly wandered around for the first few weeks then somehow ended up here.

A faint knock on the door announced my mother's presence.

"Dimka?" she whispered.

"Yes," I answered back.

She opened the door and walked in. She was a lot frailer than I remembered, and paler.

"What's wrong?" she asked sitting at the foot of my bed.

"Nothing's wrong," I lied.

She narrowed her eyes, "Dimitri if you think you can fool me you have another thing coming."

I grimaced.

"Please tell me. It has to be something bad because you've never taken off before."

I sat up and leaned against the headboard.

Just thinking about Rose still made me hurt. I had tried to block those feelings but they just kept building.

"I'm not leaving in till I know," she persisted.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"It's hard to explain," I finally managed to say.

"Well it's a good thing I'm here. I'm a master at figuring things out."

"There's nothing to figure out," I said looking up at her.

Her expression faltered. She looked confused and concerned. She moved closer to me and grasped my hand, "Dimka."

"I lost what I treasured most," I said remembering Rhonda's words. "I lost the girl I loved."

Her hand tightened around mine and then she dropped it to give me a hug. The gesture felt weird because I had been gone so long. I felt like a little kid again.

* * *

"What?" Headmistress Kirova said. Her expression looked like a crazy person had just slapped her.

I repeated my report.

"We were in the grand room of the Utah home. The Strigoi were there just like we were informed. There were more than we had thought. We were completely outnumbered. As we were fighting this big I guess you could call it black smoke or something but it just appeared. Then a person walked or rather ran out of it. They had a stake and took down a Strigoi that was about to kill one of our Guardians. I didn't get a good look at first because I was battling with two. But after I and another finished them off I had enough time to see. There aren't words to describe what I saw."

"Try please, I can't grasp what you said," Kirova said rubbing her head.

I rolled my eyes. "A girl jumped off the balcony. I didn't recognize her. It was extraordinary. She landed perfectly with a sword raised. It was also frightening. She looked like she was on fire. Her eyes had this weird purple glow and her hair flared out behind her like flames. If she hadn't been killing Strigoi left and right I would have thought she was a threat. But then it was over. She finally stopped and I got a good look at her. There is no denying it. I wasn't the only one who recognized her. It was Rose Hathaway."

Kirova just stared at me like I was a babbling toddler. So I continued with my report, "I tried to talk to her but she disappeared. The smoke came back and it was like it swallowed her. No one really knew what to say so we finished the scan of the house but there was no one left. A lot had cleared out before we got there. So after we locked it down we came back and now here we are."

I had no idea why I had reported this to Kirova. But she had dealt with the Dragomir Princess's power and knew how to deal with all of this supernatural stuff.

"I don't know what to say," she finally managed to mutter.

"I've told the Guardians who witnessed it to keep it to themselves. I don't want this getting to Janine. After what happened between her and Belikov I don't think she could stand this."

Kirova nodded, "That was wise."

Kirova didn't say anything else to that.

I waited but it didn't look like Kirova was going to say any more.

"I need to go and check on the rest of my group," I muttered. She let me go.

**Okay well I wonder if word will get back to Dimitri? Or to Lissa and Adrian? This is going to be interesting...oh thanks for reading! Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters**

**Okay sorry it took me so long with this chapter! But it's here now!**

7

"She was here earlier," someone whispered.

"Yeah I think I knew her when I was alive."

"What's she doing back?"

"I don't know? Why did they let her go back to the real world in the first place?"

"I think she's a Death Dealer."

Many people gasped, "What? There hasn't been a Death Dealer in centuries!"

"I don't know that's what I heard in the other realm."

"What are you doing here if you were there?"

"Eh I liked the meadow it's more peaceful. All of the snobbish Moroi have taken over the other realms."

"They were annoying in life and ten times worse in death," someone muttered.

"Hey! That's offensive!"

"We said the snobs not the normal ones Henry."

"I still find it offensive."

"We don't care," someone snickered.

I heard retreating footsteps and more laughter.

"Yeah but they don't get our fascination with the meadows so that's why they haven't overrun them."

"Well that's good for us," someone said.

I couldn't take it anymore. I opened my eyes to see six or seven people standing over me.

At first my vision was cloudy but after I stood up I recognized them as dhampirs. And one I actually did know. It was one of the Guardian's I had fought with in the caves.

"Uh hi," I said awkwardly.

They just stared at me.

"Um have you seen Mason?"

Again with the staring, "Okay then," I said looking at all of them.

They just stared at me like I was some sort of science experiment. I backed away and none of them moved.

I backed away in till I had enough room between us for me to be comfortable with turning my back to them.

"Mason," I called.

I waited to see if our connection thing worked here just as it did in the real world.

It did.

And he came to me laughing his head off.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I said annoyed.

He continued to laugh.

I immediately looked down, none of my clothes were ripped our anything. I couldn't think of what he could be laughing about.

So I hit him. That made him stopped and I got a chance to laugh.

"Now what are you laughing about?"

"You didn't get to see the fight from our view," he said coughing. "Your face, priceless, I mean when you had that sword," he continued to laugh, "You looked dangerous in all but with the hair and your eyes, it was kind of funny. Like mess with me and see what happens. You should have heard what the Strigoi were thinking. They were terrified of you."

"And that's funny?" I asked crossing my arms.

"To see a guy that's almost seven feet tall who has a gun and a knife scared stiff of a girl who is like what five seven? And all she has is this stake? And to hear the things going through his mind! He wanted to run home to his mother by the time you got to him."

I waited in till he finished his laughing fit again. "So why am I back here?"

His face grew more serious, "Oh that was my fault. I didn't mean to but I called you back."

"You're going to have to resist calling her back every time you want to talk to her," said a slivery voice from behind me.

Even after I killed all of those Strigoi the sound of Mrs. Dragomir behind me made me jump.

She smiled apologetically. "I'm guessing you like the weapon?"

I smiled and pulled the hilt from my hip. "Yeah it's ba…awesome," I said covering what I was about to say.

Mason smile widened. "What about the clothes? I mean you seriously should make that your uniform. The all black uniform of the other Guardian's doesn't do you justice."

"I would probably scare small children."

"No you would make the boys drool and corrupt the girls," he said punching my arm.

Where he touched my arm goose bumps appeared. He was like ice.

For some reason I thought of the dhampirs that had been surrounding me when I first woke up here.

"Why did those dhampirs back there look at me like some mad science project?"

Mason looked to where I was pointing. He shrugged, "Not a lot of people like talking to the living. We get a little jealous."

I grimaced, "One of them mentioned something, what's a death dealer?"

As I said that Mr. Dragomir appeared out of nowhere.

"Death Dealer?" he said quizzically.

I could tell it was a cover.

"Yeah one of them thinks I'm a death dealer. What is that, or what are they?"

Mason looked at me like I was an idiot.

"What am I missing?" I said looking at the three of them.

Mason sighed, "Rose a Death Dealer is someone who deals death, a chosen person who is connected to death and rids the world of those who don't deserve to walk in the land of the living."

"So like a Guardian," I said.

Mason shook his head, "No Guardian's protect Death Dealer's destroy."

"So am I a Death Dealer?" I asked.

Mason shrugged, "Appears so. Why else would you be able to come and go."

"I thought it was because I was Shadow Kissed."

Mr. Dragomir took over for Mason, "I think that's how you are chosen. If the Shadow Kissed accepts their destiny then they become a Death Dealer. You accepted your destiny when you chose to die rather then hand Lissa over. So the powers that were withheld from you in the real world were given to you in your stay here in the Shadow World, like being able to travel the realms, enhanced senses, your speed, and your mark."

"My mark?" I asked quizzically looking down at the Dragomir's crest that was now etched in to my palm and down my arm.

"Yes the Promise Mark you received. It shows you will protect the Dragomir's but it also marks you as what you are. The more you kill the more your tattoo will show."

"What?"

He smiled, "Look closer at it."

I held my palm up so I could see the mark. I followed it to where it stopped halfway between my wrist and elbow. But as I stared at it longer it seemed to grow. Runes and marks I didn't understand stretched to my elbow now.

I looked up mystified at Mr. Dragomir, "How?"

He smiled, (I was getting sick of all the smiling) "I don't know."

Now I really did feel like a science experiment. I looked back at my arm. The extra marks had faded. When I concentrated I could see them but when I didn't they were invisible.

"So you're saying that whenever I feel like it I can just pop in and out of this place?"

Mason nodded.

"And I'm a Death Dealer that gets to rid the world of those who don't deserve to walk the land of the living." I was amazed that I got all the words right.

All three of them nodded.

I considered this. And while I was thinking words I had scoffed at before came to me. _You will destroy that which is undead_. So maybe the fortune I had gotten at Court had a little more meaning to it.

"Can I go anywhere I want to from here or do I have to go back to where I disappeared from?"

No one answered.

"I'll take that as an 'I don't know'."

I sank to my knees and copied what Mason had shown me earlier.

I drew a rectangle in the dirt and grass. Flashing colors and a flipping of scenery started and then stopped.

I was looking in to what looked like a bedroom. There was an iron bed pushed in the corner and a desk in front of the only window. It was really plain and not what I was thinking of. I waited to see if maybe there was anything in the room. Just as I was about to close the Window the door opened in the room.

My heart wanted to burst. Dimitri walked in, looking thinner than I remembered, and went to the bed. He sat on it and stared at the wall.

I wanted to jump through the Window but I knew that it would just break the connection.

Dimitri continued to stare at the wall when someone knocked.

The sound of him saying, "Come in," twisted my stomach. His voice sounded so broken.

An older woman walked in carrying a tray. "Dimka you really need to go outside and stop moping. You're just making this harder for yourself."

Dimitri shook his head, "I feel like I can't do anything."

The woman smiled sympathetically. "I had a phone call for you today. A woman named Alberta, she had some news she wanted to share with you."

He closed his eyes, "She just wants me to come back."

"You should, it would probably help you if you worked. It always did before."

Shock ran through me. Dimitri had left. He wasn't Lissa's or anyone's Guardian. And Alberta had news for him. She had seen me. "Dimitri!" I suddenly shouted. A flicker in the Window told me that they might have actually heard me. Dimitri's eyes widened and he looked around. The older woman did the same.

"Did you hear something?" she asked.

He nodded, and went to the window. I wanted to reach in and grab him. "It must have been Susan," muttered the woman. She got off the bed and walked to the door, "That food better be gone when I come back."

He grimaced and sank down in to the chair.

"Dimitri," I whispered again.

His head snapped up.

"Dimitri I'm here," I said a bit louder.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"He'll think he's hearing things Rose," said Mason.

"But he's right there. I need to go to him," I said reluctantly looking at Mason.

He grimaced then turned stoic, "Then go don't just stare at him through the Window."

I turned back to the image of Dimitri. He had closed his eyes and was muttering something in Russian.

I stood up, the Window vanished.

"How do I use this awesome power of mine and get out of here?" I asked Mr. Dragomir.

He raised an eyebrow, "Just call up the gate."

I closed my eyes, "And how do I do that?"

"Just like you did with the window Rose," muttered Mason from behind me.

Oh. I raised my hand to the air, feeling slightly like an idiot. But as soon as I had raised my hand I knew what to do. I drew a ruin and then acted like I was slicing the air in front of me. The black mist appeared and I stepped in to it. The mist wrapped around me and I thought as hard as I could about that room where Dimitri was.

Then I was swallowed in the darkness.

* * *

She was there, I know she was there. She took Lissa's anger or whatever away. She was there watching us through something. She's still here.

I knew it!

I grabbed the vodka from my coffee table and downed the rest of it. My new place was better than the guest housing at the Academy. It was a cozy apartment close enough so my annoying Aunt can keep her eyes on me.

Two bedrooms, a bath, a kitchen (that held mostly junk and alcohol), a living room that was decked out with every electronic device you could ever wish for and a deck with a convenient hot tub.

I was slightly smug about the fact that the reason I probably had the hot tub was so that I would get cozy with Lissa. Tatiana was still trying to get me to get my hooks in to her. But on my side Spirit had nothing on harmful effects as Fire does. And I like my face how it is.

I let the bottle of vodka fall to the floor as I relaxed further on the couch.

I let my mind reach out, hoping to find a sleeping Rose.

* * *

So drawback number one of my awesome badass powers, I can only go back to where I started in the real world. So instead of appearing magically in Dimitri's bedroom I was in the stupid hall that the Strigoi fight had been in. Yeah I was disappointed. That meant that I had to find out where Dimitri was and if I met anyone on my little adventure I got the pleasure of telling them that I wasn't dead.

I sighed and started walking. I caught my reflection in a mirror as I tried to find the exit.

I had to stop.

My hair that was no longer pulled back framed my face. It flowed gracefully to the middle of my back. I had to admire the purple like flames that wound through it now. It made me look badass and that was what I was all about.

My outfit just added to the effect. Out of courtesy to Mason (and the fact that I loved it) I was still wearing his outfit. It was surprisingly easy to fight in. The jacket I had added reminded me of Dimitri. It was a long black leather jacket that just tied the whole thing together.

I couldn't help it. I smiled at myself.

Then I started walking again. It took me ten minutes to finally find a way out of the giant house.

The sun was starting to set. Any other time that would have worried me. But now I welcomed the Strigoi to try and fight me. I would tear them all to pieces.

I followed a path that ended at a big iron gate. I could see the highway in the dimming light like it was noon. So my senses really had gotten an upgrade.

I climbed the fence and started walking to what I hoped was a town. I hoped a car would come by soon. I was no longer even slightly afraid of hitchhiking anymore.

**I think the people picking her up should be very, very afraid...hehehe...anyways that was the chapter. That green button at the bottom of the page will let me know what you thought of this chapter...**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters that don't say 'see previous chapters.'**

**Okay here is chapter eight! I think a lot of people are going to be happy...**

8

Oh my god my foot's asleep. I opened my eyes to find that I had been asleep too. After about walking three miles on the stupid twists and turns of that highway a car finally went by and took pity on me.

When the teenage boy who was 'borrowing' his parent's car saw me he couldn't say no. I checked the clock. I had only been out for five minutes.

"So where are you coming from?" he asked me sheepishly.

I thought over what I was going to tell him. _Oh I just got back from the Shadow World. You know the land of the dead? I just was informed that I'm a Death Dealer as well as Shadow Kissed which means I get to kill all of the people who don't deserve to be here. Yeah now I'm going to look for the man I love. Because technically I didn't die and I already checked when you let me see your phone on the date. I'm eighteen now so that means I can be with him without us losing our jobs._

So I told him, "My car broke down and I was on my way to Missoula."

He looked confused, "Where?"

"This town I'm from," I said taking in my surroundings. I had no clue as to where I was. "Hey I was lost before mind telling me where I am?"

"You're just out side of Salt Lake City."

Utah. That was a ways from Montana where I…crap. School was done. Lissa has graduated that means she's at the Royal Court which is in Pennsylvania.

"So where do you want to go?" he asked looking me up and down.

"Just to the nearest bus stop," I muttered trying to think of how I was going to get in to Court.

He seemed to take the change in my tone as a cue for him to shut up. We rode in silence. I watched the clock tick closer to eight. At exactly eight twenty-three I saw a town. Street lights threw shadows over everything. The guy pulled up to one of the brightly lit buildings.

"Here you go," he sighed.

I felt bad so I gave him one of my best smiles. He flushed and got out to help me with my door. I kept my jacket closed as I stepped out. Didn't want to get his hopes up.

"Thank you," I said still smiling. I kissed him on the cheek and took off towards the entrance of the bus station.

I was lucky. A bus to Salt Lake City was about to leave. I unfortunately didn't have any money. So I smiled and flirted with the guy next to me. He seemed thrilled at the fact that I was paying attention to him. He bought me a ticket and out of courtesy I sat with him on the bus.

His name was Marcus. He told me all about himself but when he started asking about me my amazing acting skills came up.

"Oh I left this academy I was going to for bigger and better things. But my parent's tracked me down and are sending me back. I'm trying to make a break for it again."

He smiled at the fact that I had no where to go. He invited me to stay with him.

"No thanks, I'm meeting a friend at the airport. We're going up to Pennsylvania to her parent's house."

He asked me more questions about this and I got annoyed. So I pretended to sleep, which wasn't hard because I instantly fell asleep.

And I instantly fell in to a dream that wasn't in my control.

"I knew it!" someone screamed from behind me.

I turned on my heel to see Adrian standing in between two bushes. We were back in that garden.

"I knew it when you were watching us back at the Academy. I saw you!"

He ran up to me and then studied me. I looked down. I was wearing the tattered clothes I had been in before I 'died'.

I looked back at him, "Why do you have me wearing this?"

He looked at me with confusion, "Isn't that what you're wearing?"

I smiled, "I don't look like this anymore." I had raised my arms as I spoke and I was excited to see his face change to astonishment.

I looked down and I looked like the new me now. All purple included.

He didn't speak, or couldn't speak.

"I've changed," I said lowering my arms.

"Your eyes," he finally struggled to say.

"What about them?" I said trying to remember what had changed about them.

"You're a Strigoi aren't you?" he said taking a step back from me.

His words stung. "Why would you think that?" I said letting the bit of hysteria in to it.

"Your eyes," he said pointing to them.

My nostrils flared and I immediately wanted a mirror. I was pleased when one appeared. Apparently the magic in this dream world was the same in the Shadow World.

I looked at my eyes and instantly saw what had spooked Adrian. A ring of purple.

I glared at him, "You idiot Strigoi's eyes are red."

He looked at me in alarm.

"I'm not a Strigoi, I didn't die."

"But Lissa saw you."

I sighed. I had felt Lissa using the bond while I was in that room with the Strigoi. "Lissa saw me going in to the Shadow World. I thought I was dying but I got a huge surprise there." I shrugged out of my jacket. Being who he was he couldn't help but stare at my outfit. I showed him my arm.

"It's a Promise Mark. I have to protect Lissa. There's danger or something coming and I'm the only one who can protect her from it." I left out the part about me being a Death Dealer that was still hard for me to wrap my mind around.

He moved back to me. He looked at my arm more closely. I concentrated so the other marks would show. His eyes widened so I knew he could see them now.

"Where are you?" he whispered.

"On a bus with someone almost annoying as you."

His lips twitched in to an almost smile.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to the Academy in till I realized Lissa's at Court."

"Yeah Christian and her are inseparable. You should see my Aunt. She's furious with me because I can't break them up. And after what happened with you she's trying to not be so open about her plans but there still there."

I felt my temper grow, "Even with what Christian did? She still doesn't approve?"

"Nope she just thinks he can't be controlled now."

I was going to have words with the Queen.

But Adrian was now holding my hand in a not so friendly gesture as before.

"Adrian," I warned.

"Sorry guess you want to know all about your little cradle robber?"

I hit him.

He rubbed his shoulder, "Last I heard he's back in Siberia."

I groaned then got an idea.

I smiled at Adrian.

"Hey! No using your womanly charm. It's not fair especially when you're wearing that," he said pointing to my outfit.

I continued to smile, "Adrian can you take me in to Dimitri's dream?"

His lip twitched again but it wasn't because he was forcing back a smile.

"No I can't bring people with me."

I frowned, "Well can you send him a message for me."

"I'm getting tired of playing messenger for you."

"You won't even help your friend who after 'dying' had to come back and fight who knows how many Strigoi then get dragged back to the Shadow World only to come back here again to ride a bus to Salt Lake City to find an airport?" I mustered another smile. He cracked.

"Fine if he's asleep I'll get the message to him."

"You aren't even going to ask what it is" I said looking up at him.

"I'm guessing it's something like 'Oh Dimitri I'm not dead! I love you! You complete me!'" I was surprised he said it with a straight face, even with the high pitched voice he used.

"Something like that," I muttered.

"I'll tell him to get his ass back to Court how about that?"

"Be nice about it," I said.

"I'll be so nice flowers will swell under my feet."

Just to prove it he made flowers grow around us.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm waking up now."

Before I disappeared he grabbed me and hugged me.

"You have no idea what life is without you," he muttered in to my hair. Then I woke up on the stupid bus.

* * *

I woke up still on the couch. I immediately wanted to jump for joy. She was alive! But then the reminder that I was supposed to tell her beloved she was alive loomed over me.

I grabbed another bottle of vodka downed most of it and then settled back on to the couch.

I chose a dreary setting for our dream if I found him. And with my luck I found him.

"Adrian?" he said looking at me with confusion. I had never visited him in a dream before so he was probably wondering why he was dreaming of me.

"Come back to Court," I said flatly.

His eyes narrowed, "Why won't anyone just leave me alone?"

"Because if you picked up a phone you might get some information that would make your heart skip."

If possible his eyes narrowed more.

"She's not dead," I said.

Dimitri's face paled, "Adrian don't play with me. This isn't something you joke about."

"I'm not kidding. She's come back. I mean she's different like her aura has changed almost as drastically as her wardrobe and appearance."

Dimitri's face was still pale. He didn't believe me.

"Fine believe what you want. She's back and she's for some reason in Salt Lake City. I have no idea why but I know she's on her way to an airport."

Dimitri didn't move and he was starting to go out of focus.

I closed the dream. I didn't want to talk to him anymore.

* * *

"I'm getting really irritated with you," I said staring at Mason.

Mason just gave me a sheepish grin. "Sorry but we found out where that Eric guy is at.

I perked up as Mason began drawing the Window. "You know if I wake up back in the real world and a year has passed I'm going to be pissed."

"The most time that will pass is a few days," he said concentrating.

I looked in to the Window.

"There in Spokane?" I said unbelievably.

"I know, idiots," muttered Mason.

"Well not really. The Guardians would never expect them to go back there."

"True," he agreed.

"Well I guess my trip has been cancelled."

"Trip?" Mason asked closing the Window.

"I was going to Siberia," I said looking at where the Window had been.

"Why were you going to Siberia?" he asked arching an eyebrow.

"Dimitri," I said turning away from him.

He groaned, "Rose its okay. I understand now. You don't have to feel guilty."

I turned and tried to smile at him. I would always feel guilty about him.

I sighed and turned away. This time I was going to try and see if I could get to Spokane with the mist.

I opened the gate and was disappointed. I was back in the airport's bathroom.

But I immediately got an idea. I left the bathroom and went to a chair. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

It took me forever because of all of the noise. But I succeeded in the end. And Adrian seemed to be waiting for me.

"Dimitri didn't believe me so I can't be held accountable," he blurted out as I walked towards him.

I grimaced but let it go, "You need to tell the Guardians to send a group back to Spokane. They're back at the house there. Tell them it's important. That one of the leaders behind the Moroi attacks is there."

"And how am I supposed to have found this out."

I smiled, "A little bird told you."

I woke up with the smile still on my face.

I went and found a plane that was landing close to where Spokane was. I using my secret ninja skills slipped aboard. Okay so I hid behind a group of people boarding. Using my common knowledge of how people usually flew in planes I stayed up at the front. Hardly anyone on small planes ever sat up here and if I was noticed I would just pretend that I was asleep. Hopefully the stewardess would be kind and not wake me.

I even knew I was lucky when the doors were shut and the plane taxied out.

However I lost all my faith in airport security.

When the plane landed I slipped out as soon as I could. I was back in Washington and I was already tense. I had a feeling I was going to get to kill a lot of Strigoi today. So that instantly made me feel better.

Then I caught the date on the data boards. I was going to kill Mason the next time I was in the Shadow World. When I had been out of the Shadow World the first time it had been Tuesday, now it's Saturday.

Yep dead Mason.

I walked towards the exit and in to the sun. I found a bus and boarded it behind a guy with a lot of luggage. I hid in the back.

The bus led me to another station and another bus. And it was repeated over and over in till I finally found a bus to Spokane. When I was finally there I realized I should be exhausted. But apparently adrenaline was pumping pretty seriously.

I started out to where I needed to go and realized how big of an idiot I was. I didn't know where to go.

I closed my eyes and tried to think. I remembered seeing the house as we left. I remembered looking back at it. I could see it perfectly if only I could find it.

I opened my eyes and almost fell back wards. I was standing in front of the house.

I looked around. The remnants of the mist were still hanging around me. Another mystery of these powers is solved. If I'm in the Shadow World I can only return to where I came from. But in the real world…endless options.

I couldn't wait for this fight to be over because I knew exactly where I was going.

I moved in to the shadows around the house. I surveyed the area. That's when I noticed the cars. There were to many for there to just be a small gathering of Strigoi here.

I bit back the nauseous feeling and peeked in to a window.

My eyes widened. It was just like back in Utah. There were Guardians everywhere. I had arrived mid-fight. This slightly got Mason off the hook. Now I didn't have to go in alone.

I counted the people inside. There were fourteen Guardians and eleven Strigoi. I could see more fighting through the house so apparently the Guardians had had the element of surprise. I couldn't wait to see Adrian to thank him.

But just then a Strigoi killed a Guardian right in front of me. Fury coursed through me. I didn't even know what I was doing. I grabbed the hilt and imagined the sword extending from the it. I called up the mist and made myself appear in the middle of the fight.

I was still in the mist waiting for my opportune moment.

A Strigoi got close to me so I burst out of the mist. His eyes widened as I thrust my sword in to his heart.

I didn't wait I just pulled it out of him and moved on to the next.

I saw surprised looks from both sides. I was tearing down every Strigoi I met.

I started to see with that red haze again. I narrowed in on another Strigoi who was fighting two Guardians. I thrust the sword through his chest and he dropped to the ground.

I met eyes with the two Guardians. I instantly recognized them, Meredith again and Stephan.

"Pay attention," I yelled at them as another Strigoi ran towards us.

They kicked back into warrior mode and Stephan took down the Strigoi.

I turned to scan the area. Two more Guardians had been lost and there were only three Strigoi left. The rest of the Guardians here could handle them. I took off to see the fighting in the next room.

There were less Guardians here so I evened up the fighting. I counted as I took down the closest Strigoi, six Guardians with nine Strigoi.

I flung myself at the next and my sword came down a stake in to his heart. I pulled it free and continued my search for the blond Strigoi, Eric.

He wasn't here. I moved into another room because the Guardian's had a handle on the room now.

And I found him. He was battling with…he was battling with my mother.

I felt fury rip through me again. He was her match. He was just as quick and just as skilled. And from the looks of her she had been fighting for a long time.

I ran towards them.

Eric swiped at my mother and I saw blood. I flung myself between them and pushed her out of the way of another blow.

I had the pleasure of seeing Eric's eyes bulge.

"Remember me?" I sneered.

He regained his composure, "Yes the little blood whore." He grabbed what I assumed was a piece of table at one time and tried to hit me. I swerved away from it.

"How about Death Dealer that seems like the correct title," I said tauntingly.

He seemed to freeze at the term, "You aren't a Death Dealer you can't be."

"Never say can't," I said lunging towards him with my stake.

He avoided me, "This will just make your death all the better."

He struck my arm with the wood. I felt the sickening crack and tried to think of killing him every possible way so I wouldn't feel the pain.

I urged my stake back in to a sword and swung at him. It grazed his stomach and he howled in pain.

I took advantage of his pain and plunged it into him. I missed his heart. He struggled back and pulled the sword from him.

I moved with him and went for his head this time. This sword was sharp, not dull like the one I had used in my first kills. It sliced his head cleanly from his shoulders.

I watched his body crumple to the ground before I turned back to see the fighting.

There were still Strigoi here and the Guardians were doing fairly well. There was just one Guardian not fighting, my mother. And she was staring at me with astonishment.

"Rose," she whispered.

I went to her, "Mom it's not the time to get sappy. We have to finish this."

She reached out to touch my face, to check if I was really there.

I smiled at her, "I'm here mom I really am. But we have to help."

She snapped in her emotions and went back to battle mode. That was something I truly admired about her. She always could have her feelings in check. Even when her dead daughter appeared out of nowhere and saved her. She picked up her stake and ran towards the others. I ran to another room.

These Guardians had almost been finished off. There were only three Guardians and they were slowly backing out of the room.

There had to be about twelve Strigoi in there. I rushed in and pulled the Guardians out of the way.

We all ran out and were joined by Guardians from the other rooms. The Strigoi were coming in through the other room and they looked furious.

We all took off at the same time. I took down a Strigoi and moved to the next one. I didn't even keep count.

I however did notice the faint prickle of pain that was spreading from my right elbow up my arm and down in to the other. It also felt like it was going down my back. That's when I realized my arm didn't hurt.

That stopped me in my tracks. I looked at my arm that should have been broken. I touched it and there was no pain.

A Strigoi slammed in to me and I cursed myself for getting distracted.

I whipped out of the arms that were pinning me and plunged my stake into his heart. I gave up trying to remember when my sword had turned back in to a stake. It seemed to have a mind of its own. Deciding what it wanted to be before I plunged it into the Strigoi.

I noticed that the Strigoi were thinning. But that didn't get me distracted again. I kept pushing pass Guardians and going after the Strigoi that were at the back waiting to jump in to the fights.

The battle seemed to take hours. But I didn't care. I was killing the things that were threatening Lissa. I had killed one of my objectives to the Dragomir's request. And now I was just cleaning up the rest.

I was fighting a Strigoi that had cleverly enough grabbed a chair. He was trying to use it to push me into the wall. But my sword was making firewood of it.

Finally I plunged the sword into his heart.

I looked around for more Strigoi but there weren't any. Weren't any free anyways, Guardians were still finishing up some. But we outnumbered those still left.

And that's when I saw him.

I was watching my mother fighting when I turned my gaze.

Dimitri.

**I know I'm evil. I can't even believe I'm leaving it at that. Hehehe...sorry guys you just have to wait for tomorrow! Thanks for reading! And don't forget to review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Not Richelle Mead. Wish I was but I'm not. So I don't own anything from her books. Just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay guys just going to say this. Excuse any mistakes. It's midnight I'm tired and yeah...so enjoy the chapter...er rest of the chapter. ;)**

9

Time stood still. The only thing that mattered was him.

We seemed to move at the same time, completely oblivious to everyone around us.

The tension was killing me but I kept my cool and walked towards him, even though every cell in my body told me to run to him.

He looked like he was about to bolt himself.

And then we stopped. I could smell his aftershave I hadn't realized how much I missed it.

We both took a step closer to each other. I looked up into his eyes and I felt all the tension melt from me.

He looked at me like he couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he also looked like the happiest person in the world.

He reached out towards my face. His fingers caressed my cheek and I closed my eyes at the warmth that spread over me.

"Roza," he whispered.

I opened my eyes noticing the tears that had somehow started streaming out. I looked back in to his eyes and was startled to see tears there too.

I didn't get a chance to reply to him. His other arm encircled my waist and pulled me to him. I gladly wrapped my arms around his neck.

And then our lips met.

This kiss was everything. This was one of those kisses that held every ounce of passion each person had. It didn't matter that I had been his student, that I had died, that Dimitri had run off, that I had miraculously come back to life, killed an extreme amount of Strigoi, or the fact that we were surrounded by tons of Guardians. The only thing that mattered was us.

So we completely ignored everything around us. For all we knew the world was in flames.

His hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck and then to twist into my hair. He held me closer and he somehow deepened the kiss. I didn't think it was possible to love someone so much but I did. I loved Dimitri with all of my being and I would not be taken from him again.

But that's what something was trying to do. I could hear someone calling my name and it wasn't from the Guardians surrounding us.

I could sense the mist coming around me, to drag me back to the Shadow World. But I had the power to choose.

I pulled back from Dimitri. We rested our foreheads together.

"I love you Dimitri," I whispered to him.

"And I love you my Roza," he said kissing my forehead.

I felt the tug and was pulled backward. Dimitri looked at my face which was probably consumed with annoyance.

I closed my eyes and muttered under my breath, "I can't come back now."

Dimitri moved closer to me, "What's wrong?"

I looked in to his love filled eyes, "It's hard to explain but I'm being called."

Now the black mist was coiling around my ankles and was beginning to rise. Dimitri looked down, eyes widened.

"You can see it?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I don't want to go," I said, hysteria leaking in to my voice.

"I don't want you to go," he said grabbing my hand. The warmth surged through me.

I tried to concentrate and push the mist away. But it was insistent. I could hear someone calling me, this time urgent.

"I have to go Dimitri, but I'll be back. I'm coming back, I promise."

He didn't let go of my hand. I leaned up to kiss him once more.

It wasn't as long as I would have preferred but it was enough that it would get me through going back.

I pulled back, "I love you."

Then the mist rose over my head.

Mason was going to pay.

**(This is where it cut off so what's below is the rest! Yay!!!)**

When I could see the field in front of me (and Mason), I burst out of the mist. I didn't wait for it to dissipate around me. I lunged at Mason. He seemed to be expecting me. And he ran like hell.

"Get your pale ass back here!" I screamed at him taking off after his disappearing figure.

"Not in till you calm down!" he said over his shoulder.

I pushed myself harder, "I'll calm down when my fist meets your face!"

"Then hell no I'm not stopping!" he said turning off to the right.

A log appeared out of nowhere in front of me and I almost ran in to it. But my increased senses kept me alert and I jumped over it.

But he was gone.

"Oh Mason where are you?! Come out come out wherever you are!"

"Ha ha no," he said sarcastically from somewhere behind me.

I turned and glared in to the meadow that was now a forest.

"I'll find you sooner or later," I grumbled.

"Yeah and when you do hopefully you'll be calmed down."

"I highly doubt that Mason. Why in the hell did you do that?"

"Uh yeah um the Strigoi…wanted to congratulate you."

"You couldn't just I don't know tell me that while I was there?"

"You were busy and I needed your attention."

"I thought you said you weren't jealous?" I said walking down a row of trees where I thought he was hiding.

"I'm not," he stuttered.

"Liar," I said jumping around a tree. Nothing.

He laughed, "Nice face."

Ugh! I turned where I thought his voice was. Still freaking nothing!

"You told me you understood. I love him Mason. And I'm sorry, I tried to tell you."

Images of that terrible day flashed in my mind. I had planned to tell him I just didn't….

That's when Mason appeared in front of me. His brow was furrowed, "When did you try to tell me?"

I looked up in to his eyes. I didn't have to tell him.

"When you pulled away, that's what was wrong."

I averted my eyes.

"I guess I should have known."

Then I realized he was trying to make me feel bad. He was trying to make me forget why I was mad. So I did the most logical thing, I punched him in the face.

He backed up clutching his nose, "What the hell Rose!"

"You aren't even bleeding," I scoffed.

"Dead people don't bleed," he said straightening his nose.

I glowered at him.

"Okay look I'm sorry. I'll admit I was jealous. Seeing you kiss him just I don't know," he said standing back in front of me.

He was brave.

"I'm sorry Mason," I repeated. And I really meant it. I had wanted to be able to be close with Mason I just couldn't.

He sighed, "I guess I'm sorry too, for breaking up your reunion."

I sighed, "So there's really no reason why I'm here?"

"Not really," he mumbled.

I rolled my eyes and hugged him. He was tense at first and so was I. He was so damn cold!

He wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my hair, "I'm sorry for everything."

I pulled back, "And I'm sorry too."

His brow furrowed again, "For what?"

"Not saving you," I said in a whisper.

"It wasn't your fault Rose," he said.

"Yes it was I shouldn't have told you about Spokane."

He grimaced, "I made the choice Rose not you."

Ugh that's what everyone kept telling me. The look he was giving me said I wasn't allowed to blame myself anymore.

"Can I go back now?" I asked.

He smiled, "I guess."

I couldn't help the smile that crossed my face as I imagined Dimitri.

As I turned to start the opening of the gate Mason interrupted me.

"Will you tell Eddie I said hi and that I'm sorry for what happened to him?"

I nodded, "Of course Mase."

He nodded back and let me continue opening the gate.

And then the mist rose and I was propelled back to the real world. Or for better words the forest meadow thing melted around me and the walls of the room I had been in rose up. I had kept my eyes open this time.

I looked around before stepping out of the mist. (I was going to have to come up with names for all the weird stuff that kept happening…like the black mist stuff.)

My mother was sitting on a chair staring off in to space. Dimitri was sitting on the floor with someone next to him. I immediately recognized Alberta.

Other Guardians were there but most were gone. I could detect a few in the other rooms but the most I counted were six and that included the three I recognized.

I kept the mist around me and used my awesomely improved hearing to 'eavesdrop' on Alberta. I didn't want to barge in, or rather mysteriously reappear, as she was talking/bitching/scorning/whatever.

"I actually can't believe this. I never would have thought you of all people would do something like this. I mean you! But the strange way you've been acting and the unexplained fights between you and Janine they all make sense now! I just overlooked everything, just shrugged it off as mentor student stuff."

Yep she was bitching and it was about me and Dimitri.

"I can't believe how stupid I've been. You know I have to report this to the Council."

Okay I'm done.

I stepped out of the mist, "No you don't," I said in a clear voice.

It was like I could hear the heads of the people in here snap up to look at me.

Alberta was startled but had her composure back in a second. Dimitri looked up at me with something in his eyes that I couldn't identify. Then I realized it was a frenzy of emotions; surprise, love, desire, uncertainty, love, passion, desire, want, hunger. Did I say love?

Alberta stared at me for longer that was necessary, "You know the rules."

I was surprised she just addressed me like it was normal for people to just appear out of thin air.

"No you don't."

"Explain why I don't?" she said in a slightly mocking tone. I actually couldn't believe she was being such a bitch.

"Because I 'died'," yes I did the air quotes, "so technically I didn't graduate. And if I'm correct my year has graduated. So that means I'm not a student anymore. And I'm over eighteen which means I'm an adult. Free to have an _adult_ relationship with an _adult._" Extra emphasis on _adult_.

Her lip twitched.

"So we have done nothing wrong," I said in a matter of fact tone.

"Yes but I have reason to believe this 'relationship'," she copied my use of air quotes, "has been going on since before you…."

"Died," I supplied.

She nodded, "Died."

"Well I'm sorry to hear you don't have evidence," I said crossing my arms. I knew my new appearance had to be intimidating.

She opened her mouth and then closed it again.

I heard something rush up behind me. I turned on the spot readying my self for an attack.

I was not expecting the attack to be my mother.

"Rose I can't believe you're alive!"

This was not a part of my mother I had ever seen. And I wasn't to sure I wanted to see it.

But it got to me. I put my arms around her and hugged her and we both ended up crying.

"I don't understand anything and I don't want to," she whispered. "I just care that you're here."

I nodded, "Me too."

We stayed like that for a few minutes, even though every cell in my body wanted to fling myself at Dimitri.

I resisted and my mother finally let me go. She wiped her eyes and then got up.

She turned to Alberta, "I may not approve but I see nothing wrong with the two of them," she said nodding to me and Dimitri.

My jaw dropped and I'm pretty sure Dimitri's did too.

Alberta just stood there like my mother had just slapped her.

I jumped for joy. (Well in the inside.)

She turned to me, "I want to talk to you later but I have business to attend to."

Typical. I just nodded and remembered to close my mouth.

Alberta glared after my mother but then ended up storming off towards one of the other rooms.

I glanced around. It seemed like the rest of the Guardians were giving me and Dimitri some privacy because as soon as Alberta left they others disappeared.

I smiled and turned to him.

He was already in front of me.

"I'm sorry I had to deal with a jealous dead guy," I said through my smile. It just would not leave my face. Seeing him just made me want to skip around for some odd reason.

He raised his eyebrow in that awesomely cool way that I wish I could do, "Jealous dead guy?"

I shrugged, "That's not even the weirdest part of my life."

He chuckled and then grabbed me.

His lips pressed in to me and it was like a fire had erupted. I wanted it to be just me and him forever. I wanted to be back in that cabin and be in his arms.

His hand cupped my face and the other was at the small of my back, pressing me in to him.

It's amazing how pissed you can get at interrupters.

Dimitri reluctantly (reluctantly!) pulled away.

A Guardian I didn't know who looked scared out of his mind as he took in my murderous expression.

"Calm down Roza," Dimitri whispered.

I felt myself cool at his words. I turned away so I didn't have to stare at the stupid interrupter.

"Uh we're moving out," he squeaked. I must have made a bad impression.

Dimitri nodded and then grabbed my hand, "I have my own vehicle."

I smiled at the meaning behind his words.

Dimitri however looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time.

His eyes scanned over me and an odd expression crossed his face.

"What!" I finally blurted out.

He chuckled, "Nothing it's just that you've changed."

I looked down, "Is that a bad thing or a good thing."

He looked me up and down, "I don't know, I kind of like it. Very sexy."

I shot him one of my most impressive Rose smiles.

His smile grew and he just stared at me. "Your eyes," he finally whispered.

Everyone was so concerned about my eyes.

"What about them?" I asked.

"There's a ring around them."

"Yeah of purple, I have no idea what that's about. But it seems like someone has decided that purple is my color."

"Well it suits you," he finally said.

I smiled tauntingly at him.

"I think we have a long drive ahead of us. And I don't know about you but I've supposedly have died, come back to life, had to deal with all sorts of dead things, find out a lot of things about myself or new self, been in two fights with tons of Strigoi, tried to talk to Adrian in random dreams, find you, oh and deal with annoying jealous ghosts. I'm tired and I think I'll need help getting to _sleep_."

He smiled, "I completely agree even though I've just had to have one of those dreams with Adrian, found out that the love of my life, my heart and soul is not dead, watch her appear out of nowhere and cut down probably twenty Strigoi without even breaking a sweat, then finally get to hold her to make sure she's real only to have her snatched away by jealous ghosts, and then get yelled at, and then see her magically reappear and to have her in my arms once again. I can see where you're coming at."

I skipped the smile and just kissed him.

His hand twisted in my hair and again I wished that we were _alone._

He had to break it because I was so not going to.

He took my hand and led me outside. We walked pass a line of vehicles to a black jeep. The windows were tinted and it made it look extremely dark outside.

We waited because Alberta was coming to the windows of every car to give orders.

When she got to us she scowled and looked anywhere but at me or Dimitri. She focused on his shoulder.

"We will meet back at St. Vladimir's. I want _each_ of you to give me a report. We also need to speak with Rose," she said bluntly. Then she walked away and we left.

I couldn't believe it. I was alive, I was with Dimitri, we were going somewhere that wasn't the Academy to _sleep_, and I was happy.

So what was going to go wrong?

**Can you hear the scary music or what? Lightning and thunder cues NOW! Hehehe.... Anyways sorry it took me so long to finish. I had to read Hunted! And it was awesome!**

**Okay anyways thanks for reading! Review!!!**

**p.s. Thanks for all of the reviews!! They mean a lot! So keep reviewing!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books. Just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay here is chapter ten. BUT WAIT! If you have not read the rest of chapter nine then GO BACK you can't read this just yet! Go read the rest of chapter nine then come read this! But if you have read the rest of chapter nine then feel free to read this!**

10

Well nothing was going to go wrong tonight.

We drove half of the way then had to stop for the night. I mean others stopped too. They just stayed in rooms very far away from ours.

I guess I was intimidating because no one was against me staying in the same room as Dimitri. For all they knew I would whip out my sword and attack if they messed with us.

And I probably would.

Dimitri however had to leave me to go do some 'official Guardian' business. So I was alone in the room with his duffel.

And yeah my outfit might be badass and all but even though I haven't had to do it. Sleeping in it was probably not the most comfortable thing. And I wasn't planning on much sleep.

So I dumped my long leather jacket on one of the chairs at the table. Then I sat down to undo the boots.

I went over to Dimitri's duffel that he had set on the sink. I unzipped it and sure enough there was a shirt on top. I took it out and held it just to breathe in his scent.

I was really back.

I caught my expression in the mirror. I was flushed with excitement. I should have looked like a total mess. I mean I had just basically been in a huge war where I had killed a lot of people. But not even my hair was ruffled. I hadn't realized but my hair hadn't gotten in my face once during the fight. So I took the time to actually admire it. It had always been almost black and now it was. Except now the ends and the bottom of it was tinged with purple. It made my hair look like flames. So I guess that was probably one reason why people seemed to be more intimidated. I was like a fire.

My eyes however didn't look as scary as people seemed to think they were. Sure the Strigoi had the red ring around the iris. But mine wasn't red. It was purple, the same as my hair.

A thought occurred to me. The purple, it only appeared after I was in the Shadow World. It must be something to do with being a Death Dealer or whatever.

I shivered. I would have to ask about that again. I needed answers. But I wasn't going back there now. I had things to do here. Like be happy.

I took off my other jacket and undid the shirt (how I have no idea). I slipped his shirt on and was overcome with the scent now. He smelled so good!

So after I was done and was left only in his shirt I went to the bed. I leaned up against the headboard.

Perfect timing. I smiled as I heard the key in the door.

He walked in and closed the door behind him. He walked in to the room farther. His eyes went from the pile of clothes I had left in one of the chairs to me sitting on the bed in his shirt.

His smile melted my heart.

He threw the key down on the table along with his jacket.

He moved to the bed and faster than I could blink he had me in his arms.

He just held me close and stroked my hair, "I thought I lost you," he whispered.

I pulled away so I could see in to his eyes, "I'm here now."

He kissed me and my world exploded. Again.

I wrenched his shirt off so I could feel the cool planes of his perfect muscles. And he did the same with me.

I hadn't realized that he would pull away and stare at me.

I looked at his confused expression with one of my own.

"What's wrong?" I asked trying not to let my disappointment leak in to my voice.

"Roza," he said taking my right hand and putting it in front of my face.

I rolled my eyes, "It's a Promise Mark," I said admiring the mark.

"That goes from your hand all the way up around your forehead and down your other arm?"

"What?" I asked in a broken whisper. I hadn't seen anything on my forehead when I had looked in the mirror.

He pulled me in to his arms and carried me over to the mirror. There he placed me on the floor so I could see myself.

I gawked at myself. The purple mark had extended from my wrist all the way up my arm. It wound gracefully all the way up where it wrapped around my neck and followed the lines up the side of my face where a single rune was in the middle of my forehead. I had no idea what it stood for but I had a feeling.

And the intricate lattice work didn't stop there. It went down my other arm where another rune was in my palm instead of a dragon head.

I couldn't help it. They were beautiful. Sure I never thought I would be one of those people who had tattoos everywhere, but these seemed so natural that I couldn't help but like them.

Dimitri reached out and traced the patterns on my face. His exceptionally warm touch made me shiver.

"You are beautiful Roza," he said and then wrapped his arms back around me. He carried me back to the bed where the rest of his clothes ended up in a pile somewhere on the floor.

It was just like the first time. We fit together like we were made for each other.

I still couldn't find the right words to describe sex. It was just wonderful. Sensational bliss.

We fell asleep some hours later in each others arms. It was like heaven.

I woke up happier than I had ever been in my life.

So naturally that's when the bad stuff happened.

I slipped in to Lissa so fast I hadn't realized I had done it.

"What!" she screamed.

Lissa was glaring at Adrian. Christian had a hold of her wrist and was trying to restrain her.

"I'm sorry! I couldn't tell you!"

I felt the anger that I tried so hard to keep from Lissa well up in her.

"How could you not tell me that she was alive?! How could you!" she screamed.

Adrian looked somewhat scared.

The blackness in Lissa was getting to a dangerous level.

So I willed it away from her.

And I was snapped back in to my mind.

All I could see was a red haze. I wanted to rip things and tear things and crush anything in my way.

Dimitri seemed to realize that I was not okay.

He sat up and looked at me.

"What's wrong Roza?"

I couldn't speak, I wanted to find Adrian and shake him.

Recognition sparked in Dimitri's eyes, "No Roza this isn't you. This isn't you!" he said his voice rising.

I couldn't stop and he grabbed me as I tried to get up.

He pressed my arms above my head and in to the mattress.

"Roza look at me. This isn't you and you know it. You can fight it."

I glared up at him. Determination was now filling his eyes.

"Let me up!" I hissed.

"No," he said gently.

"You can't stop me," I threatened.

He seemed to realize that he probably couldn't.

So he did what all people under stress would do if they were confronted with their temporarily insane lovers. He kissed me.

And it wasn't just a peck either.

It knocked me straight back in to my self.

"I'm back!" I said around his lips.

"So?" he said kissing my forehead.

This was a new Dimitri. And I liked new Dimitri.

So our morning was further pushed back.

Finally we detached ourselves from each other. Being the gentlemen he is he let me take a shower while he went to get something for us to eat.

We were on a human schedule so he was going to get doughnuts or something.

The warm water felt amazing. My body was stiff and the heat loosened my muscles.

I used the supplied shampoo and washed my hair.

I heard the door open in the room so I hurried and got out. I dried off and then put his shirt back on. I towel dried my hair as best I could. That's when I noticed that the marks that had framed my face and circled my arms were gone. The Promise Mark was still there but the others had faded. I was baffled. One minute they were there and the next they weren't? I concentrated on my arm willing the marks to come back. I couldn't tell if I was relieved or surprised when they did. I looked in the mirror to see the patern framing my face. But as soon as I lost concentration they were gone. I sighed at my reflection and gave it up as another question I would have to ask and walked out.

The first thing I saw was Dimitri standing by the table. And he had doughnuts. Yay.

He smiled as he took in my barely clothed appearance. But then he seemed to study me more closely.

I answered him before he could speak, "I still have them. They just aren't always visible. And don't ask I have no idea."

He gave me a bewildered expression then just nodded his head.

I smiled back and took a seat in a chair that didn't contain clothes.

He handed me the bag and then went to the bathroom. I heard the shower turn back on and I wished I wasn't so hungry. I really wanted to join him.

But I resisted the temptation which says something for my control.

I ate and reluctantly looked at the clock. It was almost noon. So we had to get going.

I sighed and went to my clothes.

I pulled on the black pants and then grabbed the complicated corset/shirt/thing. That's when Dimitri emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, his damp hair the only sign of his shower.

I already had the shirt on and was tying the back of it when he reached over and helped.

He seemed to enjoy it a little more than necessary.

When he was done tying the back he turned me around and had me pressed in to the wall before I knew what was happening.

I willingly obliged. Every time he kissed me it sent flutters of pleasure through me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and one of his hands twisted in my hair while the other was at my waist.

Being with him was so natural it was like breathing. I never wanted to be away from him again.

So when he broke the kiss I pouted. He kissed my forehead, "Roza we have to go."

I grimaced and wish he had come out of the shower a little sooner.

I sighed and picked up the little jacket and put my arms through. The other jacket I draped over my arms and waited for him to finish getting his stuff together.

I leaned up against the wall and closed my eyes. I slipped back in to Lissa.

"I can't believe she's alive," whispered Lissa.

Christian was lying beside her on a bed.

I immediately didn't want to know what had probably happened before I slipped in to her mind. The bond had hinted at it but I really didn't pry when I was feelings those feelings from Lissa.

"This is a good thing though. Rose is alive," he said like he couldn't believe it himself.

"Yes but how? How is she alive? I saw her die," Lissa said pushing back tears.

She felt so confused that it was making my head spin.

"From what you said you saw her go through a archway. So technically she just went somewhere she didn't die."

"That's not it. She went to the land of the dead, where the people who die go. She died." Lissa was adamant on that fact.

Christian sighed, "I guess we just have to find out when we see her."

Lissa scoffed, "If she even bothers to come. I mean she hasn't even contacted me to tell me. I just get to hear it from Adrian."

Her words stung so bad that I was thrust from her head.

I opened my eyes to see Dimitri standing in front of me.

"Lissa okay?" he asked.

"No she's pissed," I said grumpily. Her mood was making me mad. I tried to block it and was surprised that I could. I mean I could still feel her I just wasn't as affected.

"Why?" he asked getting the key from the table.

"She's pissed because I haven't contacted her yet to tell her I'm alive. She heard it from Adrian."

Dimitri looked at me with understanding, "Hearing things from Adrian isn't always easy."

I grimaced, "You're probably right. But I haven't really had enough time to you know stop and call her to tell her I'm alive. I mean can you imagine that phone call? _Ring Ring. Hello? Yeah hi Lissa guess what! It's me Rose I'm not dead I'm alive and at the moment I'm killing a bunch of Strigoi so I can't talk right now. I'll see you later and we can catch up!"_

I looked at him with narrowed eyes.

He just burst out laughing. That wasn't what I was used to. He was always in such control around me. I mean sometimes I could catch him off guard but not usually. It was like I had torn down the wall surrounding him.

This was one wall that I was not going to be allow to get rebuilt.

"Am I amusing to you?" I said in a haughty voice.

He smiled wider, "The voices you used were pretty amusing."

I shook my head at him, "Come on comrade it's time to go."

He rolled his eyes, "Stop calling me that."

I smiled, "Never."

**I don't know about y'all but I'm really liking Comrade. I can't wait to see what happens when they go back to...hehehe not telling! Y'all just have to wait in till tomorrow!**

**So thanks for reading! Review!!!**

**Oh and to the anoymous reviewers I would just like to say thanks! The reviews are much appreciated! So keep on reviewing!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Yeah yeah yeah, I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books. Just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay yeah I had this chapter finished yesterday. But the website wouldn't let me open the document or post it. So it's letting me now so here you go and enjoy chapter eleven.**

11

We were in the car heading back when to my utter horror he told me where we were going. We were going to Court, to Court to see the Queen.

Apparently she didn't believe the stories that had leaked back to her. So I was going to be a nice surprise.

Dimitri held my hand as he navigated the twists and turns to the nearest airport. I just stared, or a better word glared, out the window.

He squeezed my hand, "They can't do anything. It's a miracle in its own that you're here. They can only celebrate what you've done."

"Yeah because death is something to celebrate," I mutter.

That's when he veered off the road.

I looked at him with my eyes widened as he parked on the shoulder and then grabbed my shoulders.

"Roza please listen to me. The Queen does not like you. She hates you. She was happy to learn of your death. Now you are no longer dead and pose a threat to her. Anything she can't understand she hates. She will find anything against you. And our little 'reunion' will not bode well. Please for me Roza, try not to open your mouth."

His eyes were frantic and I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking of losing me again. So I vowed that even though I might want to pummel the Queen I would keep my snappy comments to myself. Mason ought to be getting a kick out of this.

"Tell me you'll be on your best behavior," he said releasing some but not all of the pressure on my shoulders.

I smiled, "I'll behave."

He closed his eyes and muttered something in Russian that he refused to teach me. Next time I was allowed access to a computer I was going to look up some of those words.

He put his Guardian mask back on and pulled the car back to the road. The rest of the ride was in silence. I guess the new Dimitri was only out when we had certain privacy. With our job I respected him for his control.

We arrived at a small airport around four in the afternoon. One of the private jets supplied by the Royal Court was waiting for us.

When we were making our way to board is when I saw her.

My mother was waiting at the entrance to the plane.

And she wasn't happy. There aren't words really to explain her. Mixed emotions were showing on her face that she was trying to cover, relief, love (surprise surprise), fury (not so much of a surprise), rage, and so on and so on.

Most of the anger emotions I think were for Dimitri. I mean my mother just found out I was alive and she only got a few words in while Dimitri….

We stopped in front of her, "Mom," I said in acknowledgment.

"You remembered," she said tersely.

I frowned, "Of course I remember you," I somewhat snapped. The only way I realized this was from Dimitri's sudden grip on my shoulder.

My mother's eyes flicked towards him with resentment.

"Mom I'm sorry," I said so she would leave Dimitri out of this.

She didn't say anything. Her mask was set and she turned away from us and boarded the plane.

I scowled after her.

"You said you'd behave," Dimitri whispered as we moved towards the plane.

"I said I would behave with the Queen. My mother was not involved in the agreement."

"Well be civilized," he said pushing me through the aisle of the plane.

I turned to glare at him, "Fine," I said suddenly. Then without hearing his words I went and sat next to my surprised mother.

Dimitri shook his head and sat three rows in front of us.

"What do you want to know?" I asked her while I stared at the seat in front of me.

"What do I want to know?" she asked in a voice that could be considered hysteric if you had no idea what hysteria was.

"Yes I mean you must have some questions for me."

"How long have you been with Guardian Belikov?" she said in a very somewhat controlled voice. It was still filled with disapproval.

So I decided if she could set herself in to her Guardian role then I can set in to my not so good Rose role.

"I don't know I'm going to say since I came back."

See vague. I could mean from when I came back to the Academy or for better words when I was dragged back to the Academy or when I came back to this world.

Her nose twitched as she got the two side view of my story. She didn't press for more questions on that subject.

"How?" was her next question.

"How what?" I asked in a bored tone.

She closed her eyes, "How are you here? Why did you go back and surrender yourself. Why did you choose to die when you didn't have too?"

I kept my eyes on the seat in front of me. But out of the corner of my eye I could see other Guardians who were going with us listening to my every word.

"I went back because it was what I was supposed to do. I surrendered my self because I was meant to. I chose to die because it was my time to go back. I'm here because I'm not done living."

She didn't say anything for a long time.

Then finally after what felt like hours she asked a simple question that I really didn't know how to explain, "Why were you supposed to 'go back'?"

All of the Guardians now were listening I was sure of it.

"Being Shadow Kissed means I have a better connection to the Shadow World, the land of the dead, because I had already died and gone there. I just was lucky and got to come back to life thanks to Lissa. But I had to go back to the Shadow World because I was called."

I hadn't really been able to think of any better words but they felt right so I continued.

"The time had come for me to accept my new destiny. Sacrificing my self for the people I cared about is what did it. It set the wheel in motion. That's why I got to come back, because of my sacrifice."

Okay so that was stretching it a bit. I had gotten a funny feeling when I was going to mention being a Death Dealer. So I took that as a warning to not spill that particular information.

My mom didn't say anything after that. Nothing at all, not even about my change in appearance.

I patted her knee and then hunted down a flight attendant. I needed something to drink and some ibuprofen. You would think that being a Between World Traveler I wouldn't get headaches anymore.

Instead of going to sit with my mother I went and sat with Dimitri.

He didn't say anything so I rested my head against his shoulder and fell in to a fitful sleep.

"I can't believe you," someone growled from behind me.

I turned bewildered to see Adrian sitting on a lounge chair on a beach.

The sun was shining as usual and this time I was in a bikini. And not like the one that I had worn at the ski lodge. This one was beyond skimpy.

I glared at him, "What did I do?"

"You left me with the grievous challenge of telling Lissa. And like a volcano she blew up. I'm surprised I escaped her without severe wounds."

I scowled, "I know I was there."

"Well expect a not so warm welcome when you return to us."

"I wasn't expecting one. I have to go see your Aunt first thing."

He motioned at the chair next to him.

I rolled my eyes and went to sit next to him.

"You know you look radiant in that bikini."

"Yeah I'm sure Dimitri would love to know about this little detail of our dream."

This time Adrian scowled, "So you and the Russian found each other. I'm sure it was memorable reunion."

"Yeah we introduced our relationship in front of a room full of Guardians one being my mother."

"She already knew," he said almost guiltily.

"I figured," I said sighing. "It probably didn't help things when Mason pulled me back to the Shadow World because he was jealous."

"Great competition on both sides," mumbled Adrian.

I looked at him with probing eyes, "Adrian come on," I said finally.

"I'm sorry you just seem very desirable." He made desirable sound like a very dirty word.

"Yeah and that is one thing I really don't need," I said getting up.

"That's something you won't be able to shake little dhampir."

I turned to glare at him but my dream had already started to fade. I opened my eyes to find Dimitri's coat lying over me. His head was rested on mine. I could feel the soft slow breaths of his sleep. He was so warm. I never wanted to let him go.

But an hour later we were on the ground. On the ground at the Royal Court where Guardians flocked around us like we were important Moroi royalty.

We were whisked towards the Queen's 'political chamber'. The place she addressed people. The place where she had told me to end my nonexistent relationship with Adrian.

To my dismay Dimitri was told he could not join me. I was to go in alone.

We were given a few minutes before I had to go face the Queen.

"If I don't make it," I started out but his scowl stopped me and I reworded, "If I don't make it out clean. And if I'm not allowed to see Lissa will you tell her to leave Adrian alone and that I miss her and that I'll try and see her soon."

He rolled his eyes but agreed. Then he kissed me briefly and then disappeared down the hall. His control was maddening.

A Guardian came out of the room I was about to enter and escorted me towards the Queen.

"I can't believe it," were the first words out of her mouth.

"I know I can hardly contain my self," I said with a small smile that could be viewed as innocent.

The Queen's eyes narrowed. She was not fooled.

"I was told you were killed," she said leaning back in her chair. I noticed that her assistant was no where in sight. There were just the normal Guardians around the perimeter.

"I was but I didn't like being dead so I came back," I said with a shrug of nonchalance.

Her eyes narrowed even more. My guess was that her plans to have me disposed of were slowly falling apart if I could just come back. She wanted answers and I was meant to give them.

"How did you manage this miracle?" she said with a sneer that suggested she could of thought of better people to allow to come back to life.

"Simple I was told too." Let her make what she wanted out of that.

Her eyebrows raised, "Told?"

"Yes your majesty," I said in a polite tone. Well a polite tone for me.

"By whom?"

I smiled, "Confidential."

Her anger flared up out of nowhere, "You will tell me!"

I gritted my teeth. "And what happens if I don't?"

She smiled and spoke in a semi sweet voice, "We have ways to coax things out of you."

I raised my eyebrows, "Really do tell?"

"You'll find out if you refuse."

I kept the smile on my face, "But what happens if I can't?"

"Well we won't be able to distinguish that can't from the won't now will we?"

"I guess not," I agreed, "guess you'll just have to trust me when I say it's confidential. I guess I could give you a hint though."

I pulled up my jacket sleeve to reveal the Promise Mark of the Dragomir crest.

"They give tattoos in the underworld?"

"No they apparently give Promise Marks to those few chosen to leave the Shadow World."

"Promise marks?" she scoffed.

"Yeah it's a Promise Mark," I said stiffly.

"A promise for what?" she said haughtily. That comment made me want to throw her into a wall.

"It's a promise to protect Lissa from everything," I said coolly.

She sneered, "Well I guess you have to break that promise."

Surprise wanted to leak in to my face but I copied Dimitri's controlled face, "I can't break this promise. I'm the only one who can guard her efficiently."

"Do you think you're the only Guardian that we have trained?" the Queen asked standing up.

"I'm the only one that was told by the parents of the person to be guarded to guard that said person. I'm the only one that was given a specific mark to show who I was to guard."

"All I see is a fancy mark," she said walking towards me. "All I see is a fancy mark on a girl who has somehow tricked many people about her so called death. A girl that is no better than a blood whore. A girl whose future only leads to that life, the life of a blood whore."

I was impressed with my control. The Queen was so close that I could easily just snap her neck. But that would certainly lead to my actual death.

I returned her glare with one that was ten times powerful.

"Those are some fancy words to someone who has probably never killed a fly. You know how many deaths I've dealt in these past few days? Do you know how many lives I've taken? You can not stop me from my destiny, from my duty."

Her face flickered with anger and then the signal.

Two sets of hands grasped each of my arms and yanked me back.

"She threatened me," the Queen shouted.

I was outraged now. She was setting me up the whole time and when I did nothing she made it up. Her Guardians were loyal so they wouldn't say anything against her.

So I would give them something to tell when the time came.

I slammed my feet to the floor. The hands yanked on me and I could tell they were surprised with my strength. I felt the rage overtake me. The red tint was back. And that's when I saw the sudden fear enter the Queen's eyes.

The hands loosened like they had been burned. I stepped away from them so I was centered in front of the Queen.

"Your lies do not frighten me. You can make up anything you like about me but you can not frighten me. I'm not who I once was. I'm now your worse enemy or your best ally. You can choose what you want. But I choose to be gone of your chains. You can not tell me or order me away from here. I am to guard Lissa and there is nothing you can do to stop me."

The Queen's outrage over took her fear. "You can not speak to me like that."

I smiled, "I already did."

I called the mist and vanished from the room. I didn't go back to the Shadow World. I had been thinking of Dimitri and nothing else. And so I landed smack dab in front of him.

**Uh oh. I think Rose has landed herself in between a rock and a hard place. She might need to watch her back...or the Queen might want to watch her back....**

**Thanks for reading! Review!!!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: See those previous chapters where I'm not lazy and have actually posted one of these. ;)**

**Okay no can't come up with any witty banter for this one. {Enter select witty banter here.} Enjoy the chapter.**

12

I stumbled as I tried to regain my footing but I ended up toppling in to Dimitri.

He was so surprised that he fell too. And that's how we both ended up on the floor of his room.

"Rose!" he said trying to catch his breath.

"Ha! I finally found something that catches you off guard."

He mumbled something and pulled me to my feet.

That's when I looked around. We were in what I assume is his bedroom.

"How did you do that?" he asked me leading me over to the chair in the corner so I could sit down.

I shrugged, "I don't really know. I just can, oh and you were entirely right about the Queen hating me. She just tried to arrest me."

His eyes widened, "What?"

"Something about how she didn't believe my story, that I'm just going to end up a blood whore, how she won't ever let me near Lissa, oh and then I might have slipped up and said something."

"She called you a blood whore?" he asked in a semi protective voice.

I nodded, "Yeah that was when I twisted something she said earlier to my advantage and she made it sound like I was threatening her so she had her Guardians 'seize' me and that is how I ended up here."

"You threatened her?" he asked his voice all serious and slightly disapproving.

"No I just told her how many people I've killed in the last few days and well…."

More muttering in Russian as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I know I'm an idiot but you don't understand. She was telling me that I wouldn't be guarding Lissa. I have to guard Lissa. If I'm not guarding her then," I really really didn't want to say these next words, "then I don't have a purpose. And before you take that the wrong way," I said seeing the hurt those words caused, "One of the reasons why I was _allowed_ to come back is that I promised to guard Lissa." I held up my hand to show him the mark, "That's what this is about."

I traced the lines of the Dragomir crest in my palm.

When I looked up at him again he was kneeling in front of me, "What were the other reasons?"

I got lost in his eyes and hadn't realized he had asked me a question in till he had repeated it.

I had to look away. I wasn't getting the gut wrench feeling I had when I was explaining to my mother. So I tried the words out, "Dimitri I'm not just plain old me anymore."

"I can see that," he said tracing my mark. I got lost trying to find more words and from his velvet touch.

I want to tell him about being a Death Dealer, but how exactly do you tell someone that?

I stood up and away from his touch to clear my head. Think Rose think!

"Did I ever tell you the fortune I got from Rhonda?"

I turned back to stare at him. Apparently that wasn't what he was expecting me to say.

"No I don't think you did," he said leaning against the wall beside the chair.

"She told me that I would 'destroy that which is undead'."

He nodded but he was going to the first thing I thought too.

"But it means more than it sounds," I said staring in to his eyes.

He didn't respond he just stared at me like I was the only thing in the world. He wanted to know. To either better understand me or something else.

"I…I can't," I said exasperated.

I fell to the floor and brought my knees up to my chest. I was instantly aware that all of my feelings weren't all my own. But the rush of Lissa's anger was making my exasperation ten times worse.

I could feel Dimitri leaning down over me but I was seeing out of Lissa's eyes.

"What are you talking about?" she asked outraged.

She was in the hall I had just left. A very disgruntled Queen was sitting back in her chair once more.

"Rose Hathaway is under arrest and you are not allowed to see her. You two don't have the best track record when it comes to staying where you're supposed to and I don't want any break outs happening."

Lissa's anger spiked, "Why is she under arrest?"

I could feel the compulsion leaking in to her words.

The Queen was oblivious to it, "Because of who she is. She has no respect for anyone other than herself."

"And that's a reason to arrest someone?" Lissa said again. Her anger was really getting out of control and so was her compulsion.

"Not usually but in her case it's acceptable."

"But what are you talking about? Rose hasn't even come to see you yet?"

I was amazed and appalled. Lissa was using compulsion in such a huge amount that she was using it on the whole room. All of the Guardians had a glazed look and I bet you could set the room on fire and they wouldn't notice.

But she was doing this all for me, because she wanted the chance to yell at me her self.

Great.

"I guess you're right come to think about it," the Queen muttered. "When you see her tell her I would like to speak to her immediately."

Lissa smiled and some of the anger dissolved, "Yes your majesty."

Lissa did her little curtsy and left the room and I left her head and collapsed in to Dimitri.

"Rose, what's wrong is it Lissa?" he asked worried.

"I can not believe her," I hissed through my teeth.

"Rose please explain," Dimitri said grabbing hold of my shoulders.

I looked back in to his eyes to find that he was trying to get a read on my face.

"Lissa has intervened and is looking for me and I…" didn't get to finish my sentence.

"Go find her," he said pulling me to my feet. I looked at him and then to the door reluctantly.

"You need to talk to her I know she must feel betrayed."

Betrayed, that word stung. The way Lissa thought nowadays it was like she thought my whole life should just evolve around her. She was completely pissed that I didn't come straight to her. And yeah I felt guilty for Dimitri being my first thought when I've basically dedicated my newly gifted life to guarding her. But come on. I have to be able to live too.

I reach up and kiss him. Then just to make a dramatic exit I call the mist and leave him without pulling back.

If my life was written in chapters then I might not make it to the end of this one.

I appeared back in Lissa's room where she was just coming through the door. (But still kept the mist around me so she couldn't see me.)

She slammed it so hard that one of the pictures on the wall fell to the floor.

Christian was immediately in the room. He must have been in the other room.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She glared at him, "Oh I just had a nice chat with the Queen. Apparently she put Rose under arrest but Rose mysteriously disappeared. And being the person I am I convinced the Queen to change her mind and still have not heard from Rose."

Christian bit his lip he was in dangerous water and needed to choose his words carefully.

"That bitch," he said flatly.

"Hey hey no name calling there asshole," I said stepping out of my safety net. (Or rather safety mist.)

They both jumped and turned to look at me. I actually got to see Christian's jaw drop. I would so bust him on that later.

I looked at them without making eye contact. Lissa was actually stunned speechless. Christian however recovered quickly.

"Wow neat trick. You come back from the dead and can just sneak in without making a sound."

"Oh did you lose the ability to use sarcasm?" I asked him in our usual banter.

He looked from me to Lissa, "No I'm just holding my good stuff back for later."

"Oh don't hold back on me Christian, you know how I love it when you make a fool out of yourself."

He was about to respond with no doubt a witty comeback when Lissa moved forward.

"Rose?" she asked in a broken whisper.

"Yeah Lissa it's me," I said taking a step to her.

Her hand reaches out to me and I mistakenly give her my right.

Her eyes immediately go to the mark.

She looks at me, her anger aside, with tons of questions in her eyes.

"I can't tell you anything about that Lissa," I said answering her unasked question.

A wrinkle forms in her forehead. She's trying to reword her question.

"It doesn't matter how many times you reword the question I can't tell you about it."

"What can you tell me?"

I looked down at my hand that she still grasped.

"Well," I said turning my hand over so she could see my palm, "your parents really care about you."

Then for some odd reason we were both crying. Lissa was hugging me and her thoughts mostly consisted of how she couldn't believe that she had ever been angry with me.

After probably about five minutes of this and after Christian's hazy retreat we broke away from each other. We were both sitting on the plush carpet.

"You know I know what you did," I told her crossly.

She took an innocent expression, "I don't know what you're talking about."

I glowered at her, "Lissa you used compulsion that well you used it on people you could go to jail for using it on."

Her temper flared, "I did it to save you. She was going to have you arrested."

Christian who apparently was interested in my getting arrested reappeared and Lissa's side.

"Is there a reward?" he asked grinning.

We both shot him unimpressed looks.

"Lighten up," he said to us throwing an arm over Lissa's shoulders.

"She technically already had me arrested, I just didn't let them take me away," I said picking at the carpet.

"And how in the world did you manage to get away?" Christian asked somewhat impressed.

I grinned at him, "I have my ways."

"Is that how you got in here?" Lissa asked.

"You didn't see?" I asked. They had both been turned from the place I appeared but I figured they could have still seen my amazing entrance.

They both looked confused, "I can't explain it then."

"Can you try?" Lissa asked with one of her most charismatic smiles.

"That doesn't work on me Lissa," I told her with disapproval leaking in to my voice.

"Sorry," she said pursing her lips.

I was still completely against Lissa using her compulsion, even if she had used it to make the Queen and her Guardians forget that I was under arrest. And it kind of pissed me off that she had just tried to use it on me. Even if it didn't affect me anymore. Wait holy crap it doesn't work on me anymore! Wow I feel like an idiot.

"Wait don't I have to go back and see the Queen again?" I asked looking at Lissa.

"Yes," she said giving me a sorrow filled smile, "and try and keep your mouth shut this time."

I grimaced, "I'll try this time."

"Doesn't seem like you tried very hard the last time," Christian added.

I glared at him and got to my feet.

"Wait! You're leaving now?"

"I want to get this over with now," I said straightening my jacket.

"Don't take this the wrong way Rose but where did you get that outfit?" Christian asked looking me up and down.

Lissa eyed him curiously with a hint of jealousy towards me.

I shrugged, "I have an all access pass to the Other World Closet. Filled with whatever you want just as long as you have an imagination. But this ensemble was designed from a sick fantasy of Mason's."

They just stared at me like I was crazy.

"What? I mean surprisingly it's really comfortable, and easy to fight in."

Still the _Rose is crazy_ stares.

"What?"

"Did you hear what you just said?" Lissa asked me.

I listened to my words as they replayed in her head.

"Oh yeah sorry I haven't explained that yet," I said biting my lip. I let too much slip but it wasn't all bad. I just can't tell her about her parents. I don't know why but when I was going to tell her something about them it was like warning sirens started blaring in my head.

Still with the dazed looks.

"Look I'll completely explain everything after I deal with the Queen."

Lissa was still curious and she was about to ask me another question but I shook my head.

"Here I'll give you something to ponder about while I'm gone."

I smiled my most obnoxious Rose smile at Christian and called the mist back.

It was so worth it to stick around hiding in the mist to see Christian's face. Oh and Lissa's too.

Then I rematerialized in front of the door to the Queen's chamber or whatever it was called, foyer maybe, for round two.

**Round two! Wonder what's going to happen this time? Hehehe guess you'll just have to wait and find out. Oh by the way sorry it took me so long with this update. My laptop seems to think when it has a perfect internet connection that it's funny to not respond. It's possessed.**

**Thanks for reading! Review!!!**

**Oh and thanks for all the reviews so far!!!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay here it is, chapter thirteen. Enjoy.**

13

"Good evening your majesty," I say as I go to my place in front of her.

She looks me up and down with disgust. I just smile at her.

"Rosemarie," she nods in acknowledgment.

"You wanted to see me?" I ask in an innocent voice. Okay so it was _innocent_ but who cares.

"Yes," she says like she has something better to do.

"And?" I push.

She wrinkles her nose, "I didn't believe that you were alive. I wanted to see for myself."

I twirl around for her, "Yep I'm alive."

She narrows her eyes, "I can see that."

"You say that like you're disappointed," I say smiling.

She raises one eyebrow, "Why would you say that?"

"No reason I'm sure you have your questions though," I say putting my hands on my hips.

"You're right," she says coldly.

"Ask away."

"How did you come back Rose?" was her first question.

"I was told," I said flatly staring her straight in the eyes.

I was immediately aware that every Guardian was listening to me, just like on the plane. At least none of them remembered that I've already been here.

The Queen didn't say anything to that at first. It looked like she was trying to digest my words.

"By whom?" she finally managed to say.

I gave her one of my most sarcastic smiles, "The Dragomir's."

It was fun to see the Queen's face pale. I should have done this the first time.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean that the Dragomir's told me that I had to come back to guard Lissa. That I'm the only one who will be able to guard her."

The color returned to the Queen's face, "Oh is that it."

She didn't believe me.

"Well there was a catch here and there but basically yes. They even gave me a Promise Mark," I said pushing up my sleeve.

She got up and strolled over to me. She took my hand in hers, with her nails digging in to my palm.

She flipped my hand over to study the course of the mark.

I took my hand back and shrugged out of my jacket so she could see the rest of my arm.

She watched me like a hawk.

She examined the mark closely like she was looking to see if it was drawn on.

I concentrated on my arm willing the other marks to appear.

I got the pleasure to see the Queen jump.

She stepped back from me with her eyes wide as she took in the rest of my marks. The ones that trailed from my arm to my neck and around the curve of my jaw and my forehead to end up going back down to my other palm.

"You see the catch? I'm not the same anymore," I said in a very controlled voice.

"How?" the Queen stuttered.

Oh my God this has made my day. I'm so not mad at Lissa for using her compulsion anymore. This is priceless. To see the Queen stutter!

"I'm Shadow Kissed it's just a side effect. But we need to talk about me being a Guardian."

That's when the Queen's haughtiness came back.

"Oh is that all. You missed your graduation you aren't a Guardian."

I glared at her, "I died before graduation."

She smiled, "But here you stand."

"Yeah here I stand. I've just been gifted with the ability to come back. The second I got back, the first time, I walked right in to a fight. You can ask Guardian Petrov about that. I seem to remember seeing her. Ask her how many Strigoi I killed. Then when I got to come back the second time I travelled to the fight. I saved a lot of people during this attack you know the one a few days ago? I also killed a lot of Strigoi there too. So are you going to tell me that I'm not a Guardian that I don't deserve to be a Guardian?"

I sensed the Guardians tense as they waited for the Queen to answer. They seemed to be in my favor.

The Queen seemed to realize this too because she looked at all of the Guardians lining the walls.

"I will consider your request."

"Consider?" I ask skeptically.

"Yes I along with your previous teachers will discuss what should be done with you and your _special circumstance_."

I really wanted to roll my eyes but I resisted.

"Thank you," I said showing respect.

"You may leave," she said.

I smiled once more and then headed for the door.

It closed behind me and I sank to the floor. I wasn't arrested this time. But I still felt a knot in my stomach. My problems with the Queen were far from over.

She hadn't asked hardly any questions. She barely insulted me.

"Little dhampir it's nice to see you in the flesh."

My head shot up. Adrian was leaning against the opposite wall.

"It's nice to see you too," I returned.

He pushed off of the wall to stand over me.

He offered his hand and I took it. He pulled me up and, to my dismay, in to a hug.

I quickly pushed him away.

"Adrian please, I already have enough problems. I really don't want the Queen to think I haven't given up my hopeless passion for you."

He raised an eyebrow, "Passion?"

"God Adrian you know what I'm talking about."

"Hey I can hope," he said smiling.

I scowl at him.

"You know you're picking up a lot of his habits," Adrian commented.

I stared at him.

"Like the whole," he made a serious face, "stoic face. And the muttering under your breath in some sort of gibberish."

"I don't speak Russian though," I said.

He gave me a blank stare, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"He mutters in Russian which he refuses to teach me," I said leaning against the wall.

Adrian rolled his eyes, "Heard of the Internet?"

"Yeah because Wi-Fi works so well in the Shadow World," I said walking around him and down the hall.

"Hey wait up," he said catching up with me.

"What do you want?"

"Jeez Rose I haven't actually gotten to see you."

I stop to look at him, "I'm sorry I've just been…."

"Busy," he supplied.

"Yeah busy," I said walking again.

"I'm sure Dimitri is enjoying that," he muttered.

I whirled on my heel and grab Adrian by his shirt, "Stop it. Leave me and Dimitri alone we have enough problems as it is."

His eyebrows raised, "Trouble in paradise?"

I glared at him and fling him away, "That's not the problem. It's just the whole I used to be his student thing and the fact that I died, and all of the other shit."

I had absolutely no idea where I was going I was just trying to put space between me and Adrian. He didn't seem to get the hint.

"They can't do anything you're over eighteen."

I rolled my eyes, "Doesn't stop them from trying."

"That won't happen Rose," Adrian said silently.

"How can you say that?" I said turning to stare at him.

"I don't know but I have a feeling people won't try and mess with you."

I blinked, "Uh have you met your Aunt?"

He shrugged, "A few times."

"Ugh!" I screeched at him.

Then I turned and disappeared in the mist to reappear in the only place I wanted to be.

Wherever Dimitri was.

Lucky me he was in his room.

I stepped out of the mist and went straight to the chair.

He didn't speak for a long time and I silently thanked him for that.

Then I looked up to see him staring at me with a worried expression.

"Don't ask why or how I can't explain. The Queen no longer has me under arrest. Things with me and Lissa are fine. Adrian is annoying as ever and even Christian and I are returning our usual banter. And the Queen said she is going to speak with my old teachers about me being a Guardian because apparently all of the stuff I've done doesn't show my competence."

"Did Lissa have something to do with you not being arrested?"

I stared at him for a long time, "Maybe," was the only thing I could think of to his question.

Again with the muttering in Russian.

"Will you ever teach me that?" I asked.

He glanced back at me, "No."

"Why not?" I ask sounding a bit whiny.

He turned the full affect of his smoldering gaze on me, "You swear enough as it is."

"But not in Russian," I add.

"And it's going to stay that way," he said moving to stand beside the chair.

He took my hand and pulled me to him. I easily melted in to his arms.

I could stay like this forever I thought.

But then we were interrupted. Or at least I was, because Lissa's stupid voice was speaking in my head.

_Rose are you out?_

No absolutely not, is what I want to send back to her. But instead I groan and pull away from Dimitri.

"Lissa wants to speak with me," I told him.

He looked like he wanted to say, "Lissa can wait." But being who he is he said, "I have to go to a meeting."

"I'll be able to find you," I said kissing him on the cheek.

"I figured," he said kissing my lips briefly.

I look at the door reluctantly for what feels like the hundredth time. "It's sad that I've already been to her room but I have no idea where it is."

"It's one of the duplexes," he said in his Guardian tone.

Duplex, like the one she fantasized about us having.

"Huh, well I don't feel like walking there and getting lost so…" I said kissing him once more, "I'll find my own way."

"God Rose!" someone shouted.

I smiled as I saw Christian getting up from the floor. A toppled chair beside him.

"Oh Christian did I scare you?" I asked smiling evilly.

"No shit," he grumbled picking up the chair.

"Rose?" asked a slightly familiar voice from behind me.

"Eddie wow you're here too?" I ask going to hug him. He's kind of stiff but I'm supposed to be dead. Then I realize he has a stake in his hand.

"Eddie I'm not going to eat them you can put that away," I told him pointing to the stake.

"Sorry," he said blushing.

"Don't be it's not everyday some dead chick pops up out of nowhere."

He smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Light bulb.

"Want to see something cool?" I asked him.

Christian was behind us back in his chair, "Like you disappearing and staying that way."

I ignored him and took the hilt from my side.

"Oh scary Rose," Christian said dramatically.

I turned to him and took one of my defensive stances, "Want to see scary?" I asked him as the sword ascended from the hilt.

His eyes widened.

I laughed and stepped back towards Eddie handing him the sword.

He took it from me eagerly.

I was happy to see that it didn't turn back to the hilt when he touched it.

"What is this?" he asked.

"I have no idea but it's the best. I've killed a lot with it. But I'm afraid to say I'm the only one that can really use it."

Eddie didn't seem fazed as he swung the sword in an arc.

Then Lissa finally came in.

"Rose! How did it go?" she said hurrying over to me. She glanced curiously towards Eddie and then back at me.

"Well better then last time," I told her.

Christian snorted.

I rolled my eyes, "She's going to talk to my old teachers about me being a Guardian."

"What even after what you've done?"

"Yep I mean I've just been in a few fights with Strigoi without even getting hurt. Killed tons saved tons but I'm not good enough to be a Guardian just because I died before graduation."

Eddie froze and looked at me guiltily.

"You're fine Eddie. I'm going to be a Guardian whether the Queen gives me permission or not."

He smiled encouragingly at me and handed me the sword back. I melted it back to its hilt and put it back in the holster I wore on my belt.

Everyone stared at it.

"Don't ask it's hard to explain," I told them.

Lissa narrowed her eyes, "Ask is exactly what I'm going to do. You said you would explain when you got back."

Damn.

**Poor Rose. Guess now she'll have to tell what she knows. Or will she?**

**Thanks for reading! Review!!!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: Not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books, just the stuff I make up.**

**So tired, so very tired, can't even muster the energy to reread it for the third time...sorry for any mistakes...must sleep...yes I know it's been forever I had computer trouble.**

14

I sighed and started my story.

"It's really hard to explain," I said again hoping I could get out of it.

Lissa glared at me and didn't say anything. Her thoughts and emotions were warning enough.

I groaned, "Fine."

I went and sat down on one of the plush arm chairs while Lissa and Christian sat down on the couch together and Eddie stood against the wall.

"Well for starters I knew you were in my head when I was in that room Lissa."

Lissa blushed but didn't say anything.

"I don't exactly know why or how or even what you saw."

Lissa interrupted, "I was seeing out of your eyes so I saw everything out of that mirror. I saw that big arch thing appear out of nowhere and Mason grab you and pull you through. Then everything went dark and I was back in my head."

"Huh, well there you go now you know everything."

She didn't buy it, "Rose do not even try that I know there is more to it than that."

I crossed my arms, "Fine there is more. I had decided that I was going to die. I accepted it. That Strigoi was after you. He wanted you and he wanted me to get you. So I couldn't let that happen. I had seen Mason back at the caves and had found out what I had to do. So I just accepted it and that allowed me to 'die'."

"But you didn't die," Christian pointed out.

"Well no shit Christian," I said sarcastically.

He glowered back at me as I continued.

"I woke up in the Shadow World, the land of the dead."

I paused and they waited while I thought over what I could tell them.

Obviously I couldn't tell them everything. Like every time I thought about telling someone I was a Death Dealer my stomach twisted. That was privileged information that I couldn't just tell. I had to keep that to myself, for now.

And I couldn't exactly tell them about everything I saw. But I had to tell them something. Good thing I'm a good liar.

Christian was impatient, "So what is the Shadow World exactly?"

I could answer this one somewhat truthfully.

"The Shadow World is actually the land between. And there is more than one. I only went to the field between. Apparently there are others that fit other people's wants. But I liked the field it was peaceful. There is where I got to hang with Mason."

Eddie perked up, "You were with Mason?"

I smiled apologetically towards him, "Yeah. Eddie he's fine, I think actually that he's enjoying the field a little too much."

Eddie tried to smile again but it still didn't reach his eyes.

"Rose what was the field like?" Lissa asked. From the bond I got that she was trying to imagine it.

"It was amazing actually. It was perfect and there aren't really words to describe it. Oh what is that big stone thing back at the academy? You guys were staring at it when I was watching you."

Lissa looked at me like I was an idiot?

"What?"

"Watching us Rose? You have to stop acting like we know what you're talking about. You aren't making any sense."

"Oh sorry, back in the field before I came back I had to see where you guys were so I…" what to say what to say, "found you and you were still at the academy."

"Found us? How did you do that?" she asked.

"You didn't answer my question," I said looking her straight in the eye.

"It's a monument to all of those who were lost in the caves."

Oh that explains why my name was on it.

"Oh okay then what else do you want to know?" I asked looking more between Lissa and Christian then looking at them.

"You said something about my parents?" she asked in a small voice.

"Uh yeah," I held out my arm, "they gave me this and told me to go back. So I did and now I have this Promise Mark and the ability to use the shadows to travel around." Hey the mist stuff needed a name.

"Oh and they gave me my weapon thing. And Mason supplied the clothes."

Christian's eyes looked me up and down, "Yeah I can tell. That is definitely something Mason would come up with."

Lissa's feelings started shifting towards uneasiness. I hadn't really ever paid attention before but Lissa had always been jealous of my looks. She felt like a pale twig compared to my darker complexion and curves.

I rolled my eyes, "Really Lissa? You know he isn't thinking that. And if he was I would knock him in to next week."

She mustered a smile.

I was trying desperately to distract her from asking the questions that was floating in her thoughts. She wanted to know more about the Shadow World, her parents, and why I got to come back.

She also really wanted to ask if her family could come back since I did.

But the main question that was floating through her thoughts was 'Would I take her to the Shadow World.' My answer.

Hell no.

Besides I can't do that. She's alive it would never work. She would be trapped.

How in the hell do I know that? I shook my head. I kept coming up with stuff that I had no idea about. But my gut was telling me that it was all true. I guess being a Death Dealer came with information updates or something.

"Hey I really got to go. I have a meeting I need to get to," I said suddenly.

Lissa looked taken aback, "What meeting?"

"Guardian stuff," I mumbled going towards the door.

"You aren't just going to 'pop' in there," Christian said sarcastically.

I considered this. Going in the shadows would allow me to overhear anything I wanted without them knowing.

"You know Christian you're right."

I closed my eyes and let the mist overtake me as I thought of Dimitri and the meeting.

Then I was in a smaller room. I was standing right next to Dimitri but I was still in the mist.

He was standing in the middle facing oh my god, my mother and Alberta.

There were a few other Guardians but not much.

"You know you could lose your job for this," threatened Alberta.

"Yes I know perfectly well the consequences but I think that is a risk I can take considering nothing had happened before that day she came back."

"You expect me to believe that?" Alberta scoffed.

"Yes considering there isn't any proof otherwise. Nothing happened between us before that," Dimitri said in his Guardian voice.

Alberta wrinkled her nose and was about to say something but stopped.

"Alberta there isn't anything that can be done about them. They are both adults and even if I don't condone my daughter being with him we can't stop it."

Alberta looked pissed that my mother wasn't putting up a bigger fight.

"Fine then we won't bring it up again. But we do need to speak about Rose's guardianship. She didn't graduate so we have a problem. And giving what she's done I really see no reason why she couldn't become a Guardian."

"Is there actually some disagreement on whether or not she should be a Guardian?" questioned Dimitri.

"Yes in fact the Queen doesn't seem to think it's a good idea."

I was surprised that it was my mother who was outraged.

"She can't be serious after all Rose has done? I mean she single handedly took down thirty two Strigoi. How many Guardians are there alive that have done that in a course of a week?"

Alberta shook her head, "It won't matter if the Queen says no it's a no."

I listened to the conversation as they went on and on about how to convince the Queen that I should be allowed to be a Guardian. I was surprised that even after all of the ill treatment towards Dimitri and me, Alberta was willing to fight for me.

I got bored and didn't feel like it was the right time for me to come in to the room.

I went and sat down on a chair. I didn't mean to but I moved it slightly.

The Guardian that was closest to me stared wide eyed at me, or through me.

He stared relentlessly for a few minutes then blinked several times and shook his head. I had really wanted to toy with him but thought better of it. Dang this new control, Dimitri was rubbing off on me.

"Why don't we just all go to the Queen along with a few of the Guardians who saw Rose fight and tell the Queen our opinions?" asked a Guardian that was closest to the trio.

Alberta pursed her lip, "I don't know if that would convince her."

I really hadn't meant to but I spoke, "Why don't you just tell her to test me. Send me to a Strigoi infested place and if I survive I get to be a Guardian."

Every single person froze. Then they started looking around for me.

I smiled and pushed the mist away.

"How long have you been there?" asked my disapproving mother.

"Not very long but considering on how the conversation seems to be about my guardianship I think I should be included."

"There is something called a door that you can use," Alberta said irritably.

I smiled and then brought my eyes to Dimitri, "Told you I'd find you."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes well you're idea isn't quite bad but I don't think I would send you in to a Strigoi infested hole."

I stood up and walked over to the trio.

"But here's the thing. The Queen hates me, she wanted me dead."

"No she didn't why would you say something like that?" my mother and Alberta said in unison. It was kind of scary.

"Uh well, the conversation I had with her earlier kind of hinted at that. Anyways," I said before they could interrupt, "sending me in to a Strigoi infested hellhole would be the one thing the Queen might agree to. See there isn't a 100% chance that I will live and anything that might lead to my death will appeal to her. So I say we should just roll with it."

"And what happens if you die?" my mother asked through her teeth.

My turn to roll my eyes, "I won't die."

"How can you be so sure?" Alberta asked skeptically.

"Are you guys serious? I'm not going to die."

Dimitri was studying me so I turned to him, "I'm not going to die." I was trying to get him to understand the fact that I can't die without telling him. Because I mean I can die it's just that if I got in to a bind with a Strigoi I would just phase out or got to the Shadow World.

He sighed and turned to Alberta and my mother, "Might as well suggest it."

I stared at him wide eyes. I would have thought he would have been the hardest out of the three. And he was willing to send me off to a Strigoi hellhole just because I was certain I wouldn't die?

I was so having words with him later.

**So that was chapter fourteen, yay! But anyways I'm going to bed. I've had a really 'eventful' day. Let's just say it involved Dr. Pepper and fourwheelers. (Need I say more?)**

**Thanks for reading. Oh and the green button is calling your name so review. Or Rose will find you....**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books just the stuff I make up.**

**Yeah I know it's been forever, I had some...technical difficulties...**

**Well here is chapter fifteen. Hope you guys enjoy...**

15

After a couple of murmuring conversations between Alberta, my mother, and Dimitri I left. I just (yes I walked) went over to the door and walked out. I had no idea where I was but I didn't care. I just felt like walking.

And lucky, lucky me, I walked straight in to Adrian.

He blew smoke in to my face and I did a gagging choking noise so he would stop.

He grimaced and threw what was left of his cigarette to the ground and stamped it out.

"So little dhampir what's new with you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Nothing really just planning the way I'm going to impress the Queen in to letting me be a Guardian."

"Oh is that all," he asked fiddling with the cigarette package.

"You know that's an awful habit," I pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah, I know your attitude against smoking," he said pushing away from the wall he was leaning against.

That's when I got a good whiff of him. He usually smelled like a bar, but now he smelled like, well like Adrian. No alcohol at all.

"So did you stop drinking or is too early for that yet?" I asked taking in his pressed shirt.

"Ah that is another habit I've been working with and failing miserably with. I just have to be somewhere where I need to be sober."

He gave me a mysterious grin and took off down the hall. I stared after him and then turned to start walking.

Somehow I ended up in a courtyard and it was dark. The only source of light came from the full moon that was peaking through around the edges of the surrounding buildings.

"I was wondering when I would find you," whispered something from the corner of the darkened courtyard.

I turned and with my better attuned eyes saw the shape of Dimitri walking towards me.

I smiled, "Well you always seem to be able to find me."

I sat down on one of the many stone benches that were strewn around the grass.

"Let's hope I will be," he said sitting down beside me.

I grimaced and remembered the 'words' I had wanted to say to him. So naturally I blurted them out.

"So you are absolutely fine with throwing me to a pit of Strigoi?"

I said it with a little more venom then I had meant to.

He flinched, "Of course not. But it's something the Queen would go for. And I've seen you fight, you're unstoppable."

He brushed a strand of my hair from my face.

"I trust you Roza you said you would be fine in a complication like that. And I believe you. Nothing can stop you when you decide something so if you wanted to do this you would have found some way to suggest it yourself."

Damn he caught me. I had been planning on asking Adrian to suggest it.

I grabbed his hand, "You're right."

He smiled and kissed my forehead, "I think it's time you find out where you actually are instead of doing whatever you want to call your disappearing act."

"That's probably a good idea," I said looking around the courtyard.

He pulled me to my feet and led me out.

He gave me a tour of the grounds and by the end I was tired and knew where everything was.

Then he led me back to his room which was in the main Guardian Quarters. Apparently I had no room. I was expected to stay with Lissa.

Fools.

* * *

"So what you are telling me is that you all agree on Miss Hathaway's ability to be a Guardian without even being tested?" the Queen asked with a hint of outrage. "You do realize that if given what she wants she would become the Guardian of the Dragomir Princess, the last of the Dragomirs. You expect me to let her guard her?" she asked standing up.

I was in the back glaring at nothing in particular while Alberta, my mother, Dimitri, and a few other Guardians that I had seen at the fights were arguing my case.

"Miss Hathaway has shown immense power. She's killed more Strigoi then any living Guardian to date in a single day."

I couldn't help but snicker at the way Alberta had said living. Eyes went straight to me as if asking for an explanation. My mother looked angry, Alberta looked confused, Dimitri looked scorning, and the other Guardians just looked amused.

"Sorry, I just found Guardian Petrov's 'living' comment to be slightly funny."

Dimitri rolled his eyes and put his stoic face back on. My mother glared at me and turned back to the Queen and Alberta just shook her head.

The Queen however just kept glowering at me. God if looks could kill.

"I see no reason why this girl should even be allowed to be a Guardian. She clearly isn't serious about anything."

I closed my eyes and let the Queen's insults roll off of me. They were nothing, I kept telling myself.

"She could be the best killer we have but we need to think about guarding. If she can't be serious then she can't keep the princess safe. And where would be if she let the princess die?"

"I would never do that," I blurted out. "I care about Lissa and I would never let anything happen to her."

"And can we take your word?" the Queen asked with a sneer.

I walked forwards, "Yes you can have my word. You can have anything you want. I'm the only one who can fully protect Lissa."

Something in the Queen's smile was just too plain, evil.

"A Guardian needs to be free from any distractions," she said sitting back in her chair and crossing her legs. She seemed to be fascinated with her nails.

"I have no distractions, I know my duty is to protect Lissa and I would die for her," I said with my head held up high.

"Oh see that sentence right there proves your word is faulty," the Queen said with a joyous smile.

I narrowed my eyes.

She just kept on with the damned smile.

Then her eyes flicked to my left.

Out of my peripheral vision I saw Dimitri.

Oh hell no.

"You can't do that," I said flatly.

"Yes I can," she said mockingly.

I glared at her, "No you can't there are no rules against it."

"Ah there aren't any rules, but there are always reassignments."

I actually felt my self pale. She was taking Dimitri away. She was going to make sure we couldn't be together. I could see it in her hateful smile.

I wanted to scream at her I had so many perfect names for her but one kept coming to the surface.

Hateful bitch.

"No," was the only thing I could say.

I was losing my control and I knew it. I had to get out of here or I would do something to the Queen that would seriously ruin my chances of being a Guardian.

"I'm afraid you don't have any say in the decision," the Queen said standing back up.

I took a step towards her and felt a warm hand on my arm.

Dimitri had realized something and was restraining me.

I looked back at the Queen, her eyes were wide as she looked at me.

I turned to look at my mother and Alberta. They were staring at me dumbstruck.

That's when I caught my reflection in one of the mirrors that lined the room.

My hair was filled with electricity and what looked like purple flames. My eyes were even glowing with the flame.

I turned to stare at the Queen once more before I wrenched my arm from Dimitri's grasp and spun around and in to the shadows.

I landed flat on my back in the grass. And I didn't care I just laid there, unmoving for what felt like hours.

The light in the field never changed, and no one came to see me. I had half expected Mason to have bounded over to me as usual but he didn't. Either he wasn't here or he just had the respect to leave me be.

My temper was my downfall.

It was going to get me in to so much trouble. It already had but Lissa had fixed it for me. I couldn't let myself rely on Lissa to get me out of all my binds.

But the Queen had no right to do what she had planned. And I wasn't going to let her. I was going to stop seeing Dimitri.

Well in public anyways.

I could never tear myself away from him. I mean after everything that we went through before to stay apart it had all come crashing down on us. And what had happened to him when we were torn apart, well I was never going to see him like that again.

_You know you don't have to go back_.

I bolted up. The voice had been in my head but it wasn't mine. And it was Mason's.

I looked around the field that was emptier that I remembered it being.

"Mason get your ass over here," I said through my teeth.

He appeared right in front of me, "Its true Rose you don't have to go back. You can just stay here with me in till we're 'called' or whatever. All the Dragomir's want is for you to be there with Lissa. And by the looks of it Eddie is a pretty good Guardian and will be able to take care of any 'storm' that's coming."

I glared at him, "And what if he can't protect her Mason, you know just as well as I do that I have an advantage that no other Guardian has."

"Yeah but you aren't supposed to be there, you're supposed to be here where the dead are."

"I'm not dead!" I said exasperated.

"You were," he countered.

"But not anymore," I said slightly hysteric.

"You sure? Why is it when ever something is hard for you this is the first place you turn to? Living people don't usually come to where the dead rule if you catch my drift. You're more at home here then you are there and you know it."

"Stop!" I said pushing away from him, "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"How would you know Rose, I know a lot of things. I know that you wanted to kill the Queen back there. You don't think she's a fit ruler and you're dying to see Lissa on the throne. You would do anything to get the Queen taken down and she knows it. Why do you think she's trying so hard to keep you away from everyone? She doesn't want you to have allies. That's why she keeps pushing you to attack. If you try anything on her it ruins you. Taking you away from Lissa would drive you to it just as much as taking Dimitri away would. The Queen is smarter that you give her credit for. Do not underestimate her."

I shook my head and tried to drive the sound of Mason's voice out of my mind but I couldn't. He was right.

Damn him for being smarter than me. I had to concentrate on keeping my control. I couldn't afford to lose it again. And after my little fire act I probably have very little credit if any.

I took a deep breath and then imagined something.

"You're still going back?" Mason asked outraged.

"Yes I have to," I said opening my eyes to see the piles of clothes around me.

"And you're taking clothes, seriously Rose?" Mason asked picking up a sweatshirt.

"Its all the clothes I had before and then some," I said a little guiltily looking at some of the stuff I remembered and the few others that followed Mason's idea for my new 'image'.

"I have nothing to my name anymore Mason, I need something."

"Yeah but who would have ever thought the big bad Death Dealer would come back to the Shadow World to shop."

I rolled my eyes, "It's a convenient place and I have no money."

Mason threw the sweatshirt at me.

"I'll see you later," he said fading out.

"Wait where are you going?" I asked pushing the clothes in to a newly imagined duffel.

"I have a new 'hangout'," he said smiling.

"Oh well okay," I said looking down at my hands.

He chuckled and then faded completely away.

I stared after him and then continued with the shoving of my clothes in to the bag.

When I was done I pile the two bags it took to hold the clothes and laid back.

The bad thing, I didn't want to go back. It was so peaceful in this meadow. There was nothing to worry about and if you wanted something poof it was there.

The good thing, Dimitri was waiting for me to come back, and so was Lissa.

But could I actually choose between them?

The answer I said aloud, "No."

The answer I thought, yes.

**Uh oh. I don't like the sounds of this. What can it mean? Hehehe, anyways well...review and tell me what you think about this little 'situation.'**

**Thanks for reading, review!**

**p.s. Thanks for all the reviews so far!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books, just the stuff I make up. Oh and I would like to point out that I can not be held responsible for any one who falls out of the chairs and cracks their heads open. ;)**

**^Hehehe...**

**Anyways here is chapter sixteen.**

16

I stayed in the meadow rather than going back. I really didn't think I had full control over my feelings at the moment. But that didn't stop me from spying.

I opened the window to peer at Dimitri. I found him in his room pacing. He was waiting for me to come back. He actually looked worried.

I grimaced as I pulled away from him and went to Lissa.

Lissa was sitting on her couch wrapped up in Christian's arms. He was stroking her arm gently and murmuring something that sounded like "she's coming back."

I sighed and went to Adrian. He was downing the rest of what looked like vodka. I rolled my eyes as he put the bottle down with several others.

It was actually eye opening to see all of these people wondering when I was coming back. They were worried.

And that's how I decided that I was going back.

But this time I was going back as serious Rose. No more childish stunts. I was going to be serious and take my job serious. I was going to be on such good behavior that no one would recognize me.

And that meant staying with Lissa rather than Dimitri. The Queen was bent on getting us apart, so I would beat her to it. I would pull away from him. Well when she could see anyways. After what we've been through I never could just stop being with him. He was a part of me just as much as Lissa. Actually he was a bigger part, he had my heart.

I sighed and got up. I quickly muttered the words that would let me back in to the damned world of the living. I picked up my bags and walked through the arch and in to Lissa's living room.

She actually screamed.

I rolled my eyes, "Jeez Lissa it's just me."

Christian wrapped his arms around her protectively as Eddie came out of nowhere with his stake raised.

"God Eddie how many times are you going to threaten me with that?"

Eddie smiled slightly and then went back to wherever he had been.

I slumped on to a chair letting my bags fall to the floor.

"What's all this?" Lissa ask, her breathing and thoughts going back to normal.

I shrugged, "Just some of the essential clothing I've seemed to have lost when I died."

Lissa scrutinized my face. Through the bond I could tell she didn't like my casual tone of talking about my death.

"So are you staying here?" Christian asked unsuccessfully hiding his disappointment.

I rolled my eyes as I got the gist of what he was asking.

"Not tonight, I have some things I need to straighten out."

Lissa looked between Christian and I. Her thoughts were racing. She really wanted Christian but she really wanted to talk to me.

I cut her off before she could say anything, "Well I'll see you in the morning."

"You are coming back?" she asked skeptically.

"Yep I have to if I'm going to start proving myself as your Guardian."

She smiled stiffly as I disappeared.

I wasn't fully out of the mist before Dimitri said my name. He must be able to sense it now when I was about to appear.

"Where have you been?" he asked tensely.

I looked at him in confusion, "What are you talking about I've only been gone a few hours."

His face told me I was wrong.

I tried to think back, Lissa had been wondering something along the lines about how long I had been gone. So I timidly asked him, "How long has it been?"

"Two days," he said exasperated.

Guilt felt like it was crushing me. What could he have possibly thought while I was gone.

"I'm so sorry!" I said walking towards him. I took his face between my hands, "It didn't feel that long to me."

He covered my hands with his and pulled me to his lap.

"Where were you that you didn't realize the time?" he asked.

I could tell he was actually curious.

"The Shadow World, time doesn't actually equal up there. It felt like I had only been there for a few hours rather than days."

He arched one of his perfect eyebrows, "How does it do that?"

I looked at him exasperated, "How does it even exist!" I said throwing my hands up. "Why did it let me come back? Why does it let me travel back and forth? Why does it let me take stuff from it? There are so many questions we can ask but will never get the answers to. And looking back on my life I don't want to ask questions I want to live."

I hadn't actually meant to say so much but his question had opened the floodgates.

"And how can I live when I have to constantly give it up for someone else. I have a destiny now that I don't know if I want. But not living up to the destiny just equals up to a one way ticket to the Shadow World with no return trip. No chance of ever returning here, to you."

My voice had cracked at the end.

Dimitri just stared at me with his endless passion filled eyes. He held me closer and whispered something in Russian.

I clutched his arm like it was a lifeline. Without him I would surely fall in to the dark oblivion.

I hadn't realized that not all of my feelings were my own. Lissa was having one of her depression episodes. She was worrying relentlessly about me and it was causing her to think of some not so nice things about the Queen.

I pulled away from Dimitri to concentrate on Lissa.

But as soon as I did the thoughts diminished. I was pulled in to Lissa's head but as soon as I started seeing out of her eyes I was pulling out.

That was way to much Christian time. I had already had enough out of body experiences with him to last me a lifetime or two.

When I finally got back in to my head Dimitri was staring at me with a worried look.

"I'm fine now, Lissa's mood just leaks in to me sometime. It's getting rather annoying."

He smiled like he was trying to understand. But how could anyone understand getting sucked in to your best friends head?

I sighed and went over to his closet. I found what I was looking for, a t-shirt.

Warm hands slid to my waist, "I'm guessing your staying here tonight."

I turned in his grasp to see his face, "Just tonight. I'm going to be staying with Lissa from now on."

I saw the understanding in his eyes, "The Queen won't do anything. After you disappearance your mother and Alberta went back and talked to her. I think even Adrian talked to her. She's agreed to let you take a test if you decide to join us with you presence again."

I smiled mockingly, "Oh well I guess I shouldn't keep her waiting."

He rolled his eyes, "You really need to work on your temper."

I straightened up in his grasp, "Oh don't worry, I have that in control now. Believe me come tomorrow you won't even know me anymore."

He frowned, "Roza you can't stop being you."

I smiled at him, "I can in front of the Queen."

I stood up on my tiptoes so I could kiss him.

And well the rest of our night consisted of pretty much that and more.

In the morning I said a very long goodbye to Dimitri and popped back into Lissa's place.

There I grabbed one of my duffels and scrambled over to one of the bathrooms. I really needed to get some food in me before I met up with the Queen of Hags.

I kept the shower to lukewarm so I didn't tempt myself with the hour shower I really wanted.

The bathroom I was pleased to see was completely stocked with everything.

I dried my hair and then combed through it. I couldn't help but admire the purple flame like streaks. It felt like they had always been there. They were just a part of me now.

Just like my marks were. The Promise Mark that was always visible stood out in my paler skin tone. When I concentrated I could see the marks that branched out from it like vines. They twisted around my arms and up my neck. The ones that covered my face were so soft and intricate that I had to touch them. I had no idea what they meant but I had a feeling that they meant something powerful.

The marks on my left arm mirrored the ones on my right, except for the Promise Mark. Instead of the crest in my palm there was a ruin. I would have to find out what it meant.

A knock on the door sent me reeling.

"Rose are you going to grace us with your presence sometime today?"

It was Lissa and she had used a playful tone rather than a worried one.

"Yeah just give me a minute."

She chuckled and I swear I heard her say, "Just like Rose."

I turned back to my reflection and was astonished to see that my eyes were glowing slightly.

It brought back the little moment I had had with the Queen. That had scared me enough to send me fleeing for the Shadow World. Seeing my hair raised up like flames and my eyes glowing was unsettling. No wonder the Strigoi had been frightened of me.

I was actually a little afraid of me. Because rage was something that came naturally to me, I couldn't imagine what would happen if I let that get out of control.

I sighed and turned to my bag of clothes. I pulled out a pair of jeans instead of my new outfits. They were comfortable and familiar even though I had never seen them before. The next thing I pulled out was not my usual. It was a baseball shirt, white and purple. It looked great on me regardless. I had decided to tone my look down a bit.

The next thing I found were socks and a pair of sneakers. I was surprised that I had gotten so much stuff in one bag. I shook my head as I imagined all of the possibilities of the Shadow World. It was like my own personal mall. But I couldn't let myself get too attached to its endless possibilities. Because I was getting to comfortable there and I was afraid if that happened I wouldn't be able to come back again.

I pushed that thought out of my head and walked out of the bathroom.

* * *

I would admit that I had been slightly alarmed by having someone in my bathroom. But I had known it was Rose as soon as I knocked.

I was however completely shocked when she walked out of the room.

She looked so amazing despite her clothes. It looked as if she was going to tone her style down to show the Queen that she could be serious.

She was failing miserably. She glowed even though there wasn't an ounce of makeup on her face. I mean she was just wearing jeans and a baseball tee and sneakers. Nothing compared to what she had been wearing. But she looked amazing regardless.

She made me feel like a twig.

That's when Christian walked in to the room.

"Wow Rose what did you do?"

I didn't like feeling jealous but how could you not with Rose? Rose didn't even look at Christian as she answered him. Her eyes were connected with mine.

"I just felt like a casual day."

I tried to smile but I knew it wouldn't work on her. She was more attuned with my thoughts than I was sometimes.

So I was expecting it when she walked over to me and grabbed my arm. She led me in to my bedroom.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to be jealous?"

I sighed, "A few hundred ought to do."

She shook her head, "God Lissa he doesn't like me and I could care less for him."

I narrowed my eyes at her, "I know but I can't help it I mean look at you," I said waving at her.

"What?" she asked looking down at herself.

"It doesn't matter what you wear you're always going to have guys staring at you."

She crossed her arms, "And you think I enjoy that?"

"You used to," I said nonplussed.

"Well I can tell you now I don't. I have more important things to worry about than guys."

I smiled, "Yeah like Dimitri."

She narrowed her eyes, "I'm not answering any of you questions Lissa. I'm sorry it's a subject I'm not going to divulge on."

Her words stung me slightly and her face instantly softened.

"Lissa I'm sorry it's just not something I feel comfortable talking about right now."

I sighed, "Let's go get something to eat."

She grumbled something and led me out.

We didn't speak the entire time.

I kept shooting her glances over my bagel that I was picking at. I didn't feel much like eating food. I just wanted to go to the feeders.

**Raise your hand if you are getting slightly annoyed with Lissa? I'll just leave it at that. Thanks for reading, review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters.**

**I know it's been a while but here is chapter seventeen.**

17

Life is boring. Or at least mine is. Right now it completely consists of being a shadow. And for me that's pretty easy considering half of me is just that, a shadow.

The next two weeks sped pass faster than I thought possible. If I hadn't been clearly aware I would have sworn I had slipped back in to the Shadow World.

I had turned in to one of the best Guardians over night. Or at least that's what I overheard some other Guardians saying when they thought I wasn't there.

They were around my age so I didn't put to much credit to their words.

The Queen had offered me a deal, through her teeth, which would allow me to become a Guardian. Basically it was exactly like the field exercises back at the Academy. I followed Lissa just like any Guardian would except for the fact that completely badass trained Guardians would jump out of bushes and attack at random.

And it was nothing like Academy training, it was much harder. But apparently I was excelling because no one even got close enough to us to even think about touching Lissa. Apparently the nauseous feeling I had gotten around Strigoi was just a lot worse around them but any other danger I got a faint twinge in my gut. And usually around then someone was flying towards us.

The feelings I got through the bond from Lissa were ecstatic. She was so happy that I would finally be her Guardian. Me I was having problems.

Mainly because I hadn't really actually spoken in the last two weeks. Lissa kept badgering me about this when we finished up the day but I wouldn't budge on my, _I'm a Guardian I see without really seeing_ attitude. She knew it was necessary for me to keep my control so she didn't show her persistence at getting me to be normal in front of anyone. Just every freaking time we were alone.

"Come on Rose I know this is killing you," Lissa whined once more.

I shook my head.

So she countered with thoughts.

_Seriously Rose you're taking this too far. I actually heard that the Queen was getting frustrated at how well you were doing. See! She is actually impressed._

I narrowed my eyes at her.

_Okay so she didn't use those words exactly but you get the point._

I said nothing as I continued to walk by her side. We were in an abandon hallway. I scanned the area around us constantly. The attacks were getting more difficult as the time went by. I was half expecting for people to start coming through the ceiling at any moment.

We were lucky I guess for today. Only three attacks. But I knew that the Queen was itching for me to mess up so she could bring it up in my hearing.

So I was expecting the next few attacks to get dirty. That's why I was so demanding that my attention was only on guard. I wasn't messing up. Nothing was going to stop me this time.

Lissa was humming tunelessly as we walked to the coffee shop she usually went to after feeding. Mia usually hung out around here especially since her dad worked here.

I couldn't actually believe I was saying this but Mia was actually pretty cool. Well now that she was training she was. Before she had been a total bitch, but since Spokane she had completely changed.

I guess everyone who had been there had been changed somehow, me especially.

"She still not talking?" Mia asked as Lissa joined her at a table.

Lissa nodded, "I can't believe she's actually lasted this long. I thought she would have cracked by now."

Lissa shot me a devious smile. I knew what her plan was and I was so not falling for it.

Mia sighed, "Yeah you would think that being dead for a few months would have you itching to talk to someone. I mean I didn't think ghosts were big talkers, just moans and groans, figured that would get irritating."

I was getting irritated but I wasn't going to let it show.

I surveyed the area around us. I already knew we would be attacked. I could feel it.

There was movement to the left and behind me. I just pretended like I wasn't paying attention.

Then they stepped in my path and I whirled around. I grabbed the chair I was standing by and sent it straight in to the fake Strigoi's chest. Faces didn't surprise me anymore so I wasn't the least bit worried that I had just slammed my mother down with a chair. I actually felt a bit smug. She had this annoying habit of sneaking up on people because she was so small. But this time her little talent didn't work.

I grabbed my stake and touched it to her winded chest. She gave the _I'm dead_ sign and I turned to the next attacker.

Alberta thought she had finally gotten me.

Wrong.

I lashed out as quick as lightning and grabbed her by her wrist. I hadn't moved this fast in my other attacks so she had no warning that I was faster than before. I flipped her easily while staking her at the same time.

The sense of attack left me and I stood up straighter surveying just in case. This one had been a little too easy.

There were a lot of people, mainly Moroi, which had stopped to watch the show.

Apparently I'm the most interesting thing here since satellite was installed. People had actually started following me around to make sure they could see some action. I hadn't realized how annoying most Moroi could actually be without even trying, especially the men.

Once I was satisfied I walked back to protect Lissa just in case.

Alberta walked over to me, wincing slightly, "Great form Rose I had no idea you were so fast."

I nodded.

I saw her grit her teeth as she stared at me. Everyone always gave me the same glance since I had walked out of the Queen's chamber thing for like the fifth time, when I had been given my assignment.

Then my mother came over, "Good job Rose," she agreed. Then she walked away. She seemed pleased that I had 'calmed' down. She was happy that I had finally decided to become a serious Guardian.

Guess she didn't know how much it was hurting me.

I shook my head to dislodge the thought. It was hurting me in that sense. I knew my duty was to protect Lissa and I would throw my life down for hers in a heartbeat. It was just knowing that my heartbeats were numbered that was hurting me.

It seemed like as soon as I was happy someone ripped it away from me.

Sure the Queen, after the first few days, had decided on keeping Dimitri here. She made sure we were apart though. He was always on duty too. It didn't really matter. He had always been on duty before too. He was like a machine in some ways. If I hadn't witnessed it first hand I would have said he didn't sleep.

My heart was aching to be with him. I hadn't seen him at all since I told him goodbye. So I was basically going insane. And I was doing it silently.

Lissa watched me like a hawk. She always saw when my resolve was close to cracking. Then she took her advantage.

"So Rose what do you think of these shoes?" she asked sticking her leg out to reveal stilettos that probably cost six hundred dollars. She knew I was a shoe enthusiast but I wasn't cracking.

I nodded and looked away from her.

She threw a hissy fit, an actually hissy fit, foot stamping and everything.

"I'm so sick of this Rosemarie. Just because you're my Guardian doesn't mean you can't talk to me anymore! I'm sick of you pretending that I'm not here. I want my best friend to snap out of it and be her normal self again. I miss you Rose!"

People were giving us sideways glances, I glowered at them.

"Rose!" Lissa said towering in front of me. "Come on Rose! You're my best friend and you're acting like a cold hearted bitch."

I blinked at her. She just called me a bitch. She just called the person who was saving her ass left and right (yes I know it wasn't really her life but technically…) a bitch.

Flashing lights were going of in my head. Meltdown alert!

I bit my lip to keep my focus but Lissa deemed it necessary to keep yelling at me. I had felt this building in her for a while but I hadn't realized it was going to explode this way.

"I actually can't believe you Rose. This so isn't you. The real you would be eating all this attention up but you're just throwing it away."

Snap.

"Well Vasilisa we all can't be Moroi royalty who live to eat up the spotlight. Not all of us are capable of running like that for very long. Not all of us were born in to the world where everything is handed to them. Some of us actually have to fight for what they can get. And I'm fighting tooth and nail to become a Guardian for you. So I can protect you. So I can die to save you if necessary. So forgive me if I'm going to take my job seriously. Because I was given a second chance and I'm not screwing it up just to take advantage of the spotlight."

My voice was cold as ice and hard as steel. I actually saw the color drain from both Lissa and Mia. The few people around us quickly backed up from me.

Through the bond I could feel Lissa's pain. My words had cut her deep. She didn't look at me for the rest of the day. Her thoughts were centered on reevaluating our friendship. She was trying to see all the twists and curves that had happened. I was actually starting to feel a little guilty. I hated hurting Lissa but she had started being a little to whiny for my taste. Lissa needed to grow up, I could see that now. She had to be able to face the harsh real world because if she couldn't take my anger she wouldn't last as a true leader. She needed to be able to deal with stuff like this.

There were no attacks during the rest of the day.

Back at the duplex Lissa sank down on the couch and watched the TV aimlessly with Christian. I didn't exactly know how Christian was here. I figured the Queen was going to ship him off somewhere far away so she could force Adrian on Lissa. But I guess I had missed something while I was gone.

Lissa was trying her hardest to block me from her thoughts so that was when I decided to talk.

"Lissa may I speak with you," I said softly.

She glared at me, "Oh now you want to talk?"

I stared back, "Yes."

"I don't feel like talking to you right now Rose. Why don't you just go hang out with your Guardian friends?"

I closed my eyes and counted to ten, "Lissa I need to talk to you and I guess I'll just do it in front of Christian."

Christian looked between us and decided leaving Lissa would probably mean death for him.

"I'm sorry about what I said before Lissa. You know how stressed out I am. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings but I can't mess this up. I'm not going to let myself even slip once. If I don't become a Guardian I don't have a reason anymore."

Sure I skimmed some of the harsher words I wanted to throw at her but this would just have to do. And yeah it wasn't at all true. I wasn't the least bit sorry.

Lissa faltered I could feel it in the bond.

"I'm sorry too," she finally blurted out. Lissa couldn't ever hold a grudge for too long.

I did everything a make up required, the hugging and talking and blah blah blah.

Everything was perfect again. So why in the hell do I feel like crap?

**I bet you weren't expecting that now were you??? Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading and review!!!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters that don't say 'see previous chapters'.**

**Bet you weren't expecting two chapters in one day! Well aren't you just lucky.**

18

"Belikov!" someone said crossly from behind me. I turned on my heel from the fight between Rose and Lissa to see Janine standing tapping her foot at me.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sternly.

I sighed, "Plotting my attack actually."

Her eyes narrowed, "Your next?"

"Yes," I said flatly.

"That ought to be interesting," she said looking back at Rose. Her lip twitched slightly. I had caught the gist of the conversation between the girls, and it wasn't pretty.

Lissa was going on and on about how Rose wasn't the same. And she was right. Rose had completely changed. She had become something lethal. Rose hadn't been kidding when she said that no one would recognize her. She had basically turned in to a shadow behind Lissa. But as soon as one of her attackers got close to her she whirled on them and took them down before they could even respond. This last attack showed just how powerful she was.

She had just stood there completely still like she wasn't expecting anything when Janine had slipped behind her. I knew that Janine was lethal in her own way. She was deadly quiet.

But even that wasn't good enough to trick Rose. Rose had taken a chair and smashed Janine and staked her before Janine was even attacking. Then she had turned and caught Alberta just as she came up. She was amazing.

Then Lissa has started. I had barely caught Rose's words. But they were deadly even though Rose had barely spoken above a whisper. That shut Lissa up, and the other girl Mia too.

"Rose has really changed," Janine muttered watching.

I nodded, "But it's hard to tell if it's for the better or the worse."

Janine just stared at me, "It's for the better of course. It's a relief to not have to worry about her making a fool out of herself anymore. No more worrying about her getting in to tight situations or idiotic ones."

I glared at the ground, "Yeah but can you actually want the old Rose to just die like that. For her to just turn in to some Guardian robot that to me looks miserable?"

I could sense the eye rolling I was getting, "It's for the better. It's about time Rose learned discipline."

Then her quiet footsteps retreated and I was alone one more. Rose and Lissa were moving away now. I would wait and attack later.

Back in my room I picked up a book. It was the first break I had all day. Well actually in two days. I had the night off for once. But I couldn't concentrate on reading. My thoughts kept drifting back to Rose and what she had said to Lissa.

Rose was trying harder than I had ever seen her. She wasn't going to let anything get by her. And I had to attack her. I knew the Queen had asked me to do this because she didn't think Rose could do it. But she had also had the same notion about Rose's mother. She had been deeply disappointed to find that Rose seemed to enjoy beating her mother up.

Apparently at the beginning of this trial Janine had pulled Rose aside. I blamed her for Rose's decreasing mood. But I really blamed myself. If I hadn't gotten myself involved with Rose in the first place none of this would have ever happened.

The second I thought that I threw the book down. I couldn't even fool myself with that crap. I loved Rose more than I thought it was possible to love someone. I didn't think I could ever feel like this. That there would ever be anything to make me not one to be a Guardian anymore, but Rose was the prime candidate for that spot. I would give up my life for her, just as she was willing to give up hers for Lissa's.

The tension that had been building up in me all day shifted. There was a slight disturbance in the room. I immediately stood up, waiting.

Then just like the miracle she was she appeared in the middle of my room, looking completely heartbroken.

She slumped to the floor in front of me and I quickly went to her.

She sobbed in to my shoulder for an immeasurable amount of time. And I let her.

"Thanks," she finally muttered. I was leaning up against the baseboard of the bed with her leaning against me. I kissed her hair, "You're welcome love."

She squeezed my hand, "I'm sorry that I just popped in here like the basket case I am."

I pulled her chin up so I could stare in to her eyes, "Feel free to anytime. I have enough of my Zen crap to get you through it."

It worked she laughed, "I thought you just told me that stuff to 'educate' me."

"I do," I admitted.

She sighed and rested her head on my chest. "I'm losing it Dimitri, I really am. I can feel myself slipping."

I tensed, "You'll be fine. I'm here remember?"

She looked up to study me. Her expression wasn't what I was expecting. Fear lined her face right along with her passion. It seemed to mix in to a completely new emotion.

"I'm counting on it," she softly.

I tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I heard about you and Lissa," I said solemnly.

"You mean you heard it, I knew you were there," she said smugly.

"Fine then I heard you and Lissa."

"You want to know what happened later," she stated.

I didn't answer.

She sighed, "We're fine. I apologized and we made up and had a happily ever after moment."

"Yes I can see that. You're completely happy, looks like you're about to start bouncing off the walls with joy."

She glared at me, "Okay so I lied through my teeth to make her happy."

"I figured as much," I sighed pulling her in to my lap.

"Dimitri please tell me this is almost over, I can't take being watched like this anymore," she said hoarsely. I could tell she was trying desperately not to break down again.

I shook my head, "I have no idea Roza."

She muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?" I asked with wide eyes.

She bit her lip and looked at me with sheepish eyes, "I have absolutely no idea."

"Keep it that way," I said glaring at her. She listened to me way to much. She had just sworn in Russian as perfectly as she swore in English.

A few hours later I reluctantly had to let her go. We hadn't seen each other in at least two weeks. I knew she wasn't doing well before but after tonight my eyes had been opened wider than I thought possible.

Rose had actually been going in to the Shadow World to escape reality. She was basically becoming a shadow herself. I could see it from my hours of having to observe her tactics. She was swift and silent. She followed Lissa so closely that you couldn't dream of getting her away. She was Lissa's shadow now.

And then Lissa's constant pressure was driving her nuts. Lissa wanted Rose to be the outgoing menace she had once been before. Lissa didn't seem to grasp the concept of Rose having to be serious. She thought they could just be friends like they had been when they had run away, running wild.

And Lissa was not happy that Rose wasn't living up to her expectations. And Rose was just trying to deal in her own way. After what happened with Jesse and all the other idiots back at the Academy I had become her outlet. She hadn't been sharing her secrets with Lissa anymore. Because she was to busy keeping Lissa from hurting herself that she couldn't tell her what was hurting her.

And in my opinion what was hurting Rose was Lissa. Sure the bond gave Rose the ultimate tool. She was the most effective Guardian for Lissa without a doubt. But having to share your mind with someone else seems to take a lot out of the person doing the sharing. And Lissa doesn't seem to grasp that concept because Rose lets her think that the world is perfect. Rose protects Lissa to much. And it hurts her. It hurts them both. But telling that to Rose is like telling a toddler that vegetables are better than candy.

* * *

After I left Dimitri I went straight back to Lissa's duplex. She was sound asleep. So I curled up on the couch and let my mind wander.

And of freaking course, Adrian wandered right there with me.

"Little dhampir you seem upset," he said soothingly. We were on a beach once again. We were walking shoulder to shoulder in the cool sand.

"Of course I'm upset," I muttered, "every time I fall asleep I fall in to one of your dreams in a skimpy outfit."

I looked down at the violet bathing suit I would have killed for back in the real world.

"I forgot you turned in to the modest Rose."

As he said that the bikini turned into a disgusting looking one piece complete with a yellow t-shirt to go over it.

I glared at him.

"To modest?" he asked arching one of his perfect eyebrows.

I glared.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. A more proper bikini replaced the hideously designed one piece.

"Thank you," I said stiffly.

He sighed again and collapsed in the sand pulling me with him. I wanted to object but I was suddenly too tired to.

"You know spending time with you here is more pleasing then spending time with you in the real world."

I snorted, "Let me guess it's because Dimitri isn't here?"

His lips turned up into a smile, "Yes that's one perk but not the main one."

"What's the main one then?" I asked digging my hands in the sand.

"You seem to be happy," he said softly.

I let my hands fall limply to my side.

"I don't mean that in the way you think. Okay yes I do. You seem absolutely miserable outside of your dreams. I thought being a Guardian was something you've always 'dreamed' about. That it was the best thing in the world to you."

I bit my lip and then decided to answer, "It is but knowing it comes with a price has put the whole thing in to a different perspective. Dying sort of screwed everything up for me."

He grunted, "You didn't die Rose."

I sighed, "Whatever you want to call it. Now instead of just graduating like I was supposed to I have to fight to become what I was supposed to be. Even though I've clearly proved that I'm worth something time and time again. I mean I was chosen from the other side to come back and I still have to try and convince the Queen that I'm serious. It's just so tiring that I can't believe I even bother."

His eyes turned serious, "Rose you have to keep trying. You can't just give up. That's exactly what she wants you to do."

"I know, that's why I'm so miserable," I groaned.

He put his arm around me, "From what you told me about what happened in the Shadow World there is something big coming. Something that no other person is going to be able to protect Lissa from. What was that Strigoi's name that you're supposed to find?"

His last question took me by surprise. I hadn't actually meant to tell him everything but it sort of slipped out. He wasn't the only one who knew though. I had told Dimitri most of the same stuff, and more.

"Zacharie," I stated clearly, "I have no idea who or where in the hell he could be but I have to find him. They said he was the key, or at least that he's behind it all."

Adrian just nodded. That's when I realized the dream was fading.

I sighed for what felt like the thousandth time, "Bye Adrian."

He nodded, "Bye little dhampir."

Then I woke up to face another day with Lissa and fake attacks.

**Poor Rose. Poor Dimitri. Poor Adrian. Who cares about Lissa. Hehehe. Poor Christian for having to be caught in the middle of the two girls. I would be very very afraid if I were him. I wonder what's going to happen...**

**Thanks for reading. Review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I will repeat once more. See previous chapters that don't say 'see previous chapters.'**

**Hallelujah chapter nineteen has arrived! And so I won't take up your time with my witty banter just read!**

19

"I do not care it will never happen. That girl won't be alive at the end of this year. I will make sure of it."

* * *

Lissa and I were not speaking. Not that I really minded. I could tell that the only reason she wasn't speaking with me was that she wanted me to concentrate hard today. The end of the 'attacks' was finally in sight so they were bound to become more difficult. And that meant that I would probably being facing Dimitri once more.

And I was so ready for him. I had sensed him more than seen him watching me fight the other 'attacks'. So I had purposely held back my fiercer moves, they were all saved for him. I wasn't letting the Queen win this fight.

So when most of the day went by with not even a whisper of an attack I was on my toes. It was exactly something he would do. Wait until I'm relaxing then pounce.

Well all I have to say is, "Bring it Comrade."

Lissa and Christian were two feet in front of me. I was tailing them while keeping an eye out. They were headed for the café to meet up with Mia. I wasn't really expecting him to attack here since my mother and Alberta had attacked here yesterday.

But this was Dimitri. And he knew exactly when I would relax.

So I wrapped my fingers around the stake in my jacket pocket.

"Well Rose so far so good," Christian said lazily slinking in to a chair.

I nodded curtly at him and focused on a grove of trees where Dimitri had been spying on me the day before.

I detected no movement but every muscle was tense for the fight they knew was coming.

"I'll be glad when this is over," Lissa grumbled. Her thoughts were clearing saying, _I'll be glad when Rose isn't so snobby. She's no fun under stress._

I was smart and kept my mouth shut. I just went over all the snippy remarks I would have said if I wasn't on red alert: _Are you kidding me Lissa? After the fights we've had your still being petty and childish? GROW UP! It's not all about you so wake up from Lissa Dream World and look around. Not everything is rainbows and bunnies here._

And just like I figured I sensed the steady shift in the air. The shift that said a predator was about.

I turned on my heel and smashed my fist in to the side of Dimitri's face. He had been coming towards me in a typical Strigoi motion. Grab and crush then snap the neck, but oh no not this girl.

He staggered back, I had a lot more strength then he had anticipated.

We did the dance of hunters. He circled me with a blank expression, like he was trying to pretend that it wasn't me. I did the same. I just imagined that he was the enemy.

His fist flew out and landed a perfect blow to my stomach. I staggered back then lunged at him. Instead of just pushing him to the ground I grabbed his arm and whipped around his back pinning it tightly.

He struggled with his other arm, grabbing towards my face. I ignored it and reached for my stake. Knowing exactly what I was doing he pushed all his weight backwards. He went crashing down on to me. I didn't hesitate to dig my nails, and my elbow in to his back while I pushed him off of me. But somehow the stupid Russian wiggled out of my grip. I took the stake from my pocket and instead of going towards him I went back to my charge, putting myself in front of Lissa and Christian.

I wasn't going to let him fake at me but go towards her. Strigoi were known to do that often. I saw his brow furrow I had guessed his next move perfectly.

So I took advantage of his scattered thoughts and lunged at him again.

But this time I cheated. I kicked him in the gut and then called up the shadows to blind him. I could see perfectly well but he fell to the ground clutching his side. I must have broken a rib.

But I didn't let that make me waver. I went behind him and he lashed out at me.

I heard mutters from the people watching but I blocked them out. Most of them being Moroi they could probably see through the shadows.

He lashed out again and caught my wrist. But this time I had the advantage. I twisted his arm and leapt behind him pressing my stake to the point that would kill him in his back.

I let the shadows go and the spectators cheered at my win.

The first set of eyes I met were not Lissa's. They were the furious eyes of the Queen. From the look she was giving me she thought I wouldn't be able to 'kill' Dimitri.

Just because you love someone doesn't mean that you can't pretend to kill them when the time comes. Of course if it were real then I would have probably just broken down and disappeared again.

"You can let my arm go now," Dimitri whispered.

I smiled and let him go. He stretched his arm that I had had bent at an awkward angle.

Lissa ran up and hugged me, "That was amazing! The mist stuff was perfect I mean I could see basically everything but leaping over him that was just cool!"

I gave her a small smile as I glanced back at the Queen. She looked as if she was fuming. Dimitri went over to where she was standing. He started talking to her and then my mother appeared out of no where and was in the conversation like she had started it.

They didn't stay in the courtyard they slowly started to make their way towards the Queen's political chamber.

I didn't even notice Mia staring at me with her mouth slightly open.

"What?" I asked her finally.

"What the hell was that?"

I could tell instantly that every eye was on me. I mean come on! Could I discuss any of the Shadow stuff without everyone within earshot listening in?

I shrugged, "Just something I can do."

"But what is it?" Mia asked being persistent.

"Shadows," I said in a matter of fact tone.

She glared.

"I can't really explain it Mia so that's the best I can do," I said going back to my post.

"Oh great, now we have the silent Rose again," Christian said leaning back in his chair.

I wanted to act childish and stick my tongue out at him but I didn't. Acting like a grown up was not fun.

But something in the back of my mind caught my attention. A conversation I had had with Dimitri, or rather an argument I had had with him.

It was about me turning eighteen and magically becoming and adult. He said just being eighteen didn't make me an adult that I had to mentally grow up. Basically he told me I was immature and that turning eighteen would probably do nothing to change it.

So I guess the perfect cure for that is dying then coming back to life after your eighteenth birthday. Because if I do say so myself if I don't act more grown up then the Queen then I have no idea how old I act.

I haven't thrown a fit like her for I don't know how long. Sure I've yelled in public but the look on the Queen's face was that of a five year old that didn't get her way. She was angry and the Queen being angry was probably not a very good thing for me.

* * *

My heart was calling to vodka but my brain was calling for my attention. I'm proud to announce that I Adrian Ivashkov have been sober for two days, a record for this year. And it was all because of Rose. Because my whole life it seems is revolving around her becoming a Guardian. I have to be constantly alert so I can watch my dear sweet Aunt.

And right now that dear sweet Aunt is having a tantrum. Apparently her last plan had failed. She had counted on Rose's inability to attack Dimitri. Apparently Rose has no aversion to killing her beloved, even if it was just pretending.

I mean come on she took her mother down. Though even if it wasn't pretending I'm pretty sure she still would have taken her mother down.

And Rose was making me uneasy. Her aura had changed, drastically. Sure it was still black as always but now it shifted. It was now normally black with licks of violet, like flames. Just like her hair and her eyes. But now it started to fade in and out. Like Rose wasn't really here but just a spirit, like she's slipping back in to the shadows.

And when she called that strange mist, whatever you want to call it, up her aura changed to a dark black to a blinding flame. She reminds me of an Angel, an Angel of Death.

She even has a glow that I'm sure others can't see. Just I and my wonderful aura reading skills can see. It's like she isn't just a dhampir anymore but something more, greater.

The conversation between my Aunt and the Guardians pulled me out of my unusually clear head.

"The facts are this, Rosemarie is a model Guardian. She didn't as much as flinch at any of the attacks. She has skills no Guardian ever dreamed of. Refusing her guardianship doesn't just hurt her it hurts Moroi. Think of how well protected the Dragomir Princess will be with Rosemarie guarding her? Nothing will get past her. No one even got close to her through the past few weeks."

Guardian Petrov was the speaker. The look in her eye was a fervent desire to have Rose as a Guardian. The other two, Guardian Hathaway and Guardian Belikov, had the same looks. Even the Guardians lining the walls of the Queen's political chamber had the look.

Rose was the perfect Guardian.

But what they actually don't know is the fact that Rose is struggling in this world. She has been in the Shadow World to long and it's constantly calling to her. She has seen the wonders and she won't be able to forget them.

She has to choose between the Shadows and the Light.

And I don't even know what she'll choose.

And that scares me in to being sober.

* * *

The night comes rather quickly for me. Lissa is already asleep and I just lay in the room she set up for me. A Guardian I didn't know came to tell me that the attacks were off so I was off duty.

I immediately wanted to go to Dimitri but I didn't trust the Queen.

When I was perfectly sure Lissa was asleep I grabbed my pillow and blanket and padded down the hall to her room. I set up a little place for me to sleep on the floor just like I did back at the academy when I was guarding Christian.

I made sure before I settled down to sleep that the window was securely locked as was the two doors that lead out of the room.

I wanted noise to be made just in case I fell to deep in to sleep which I didn't think would happen.

I was right not to trust the Queen.

I knew instantly that I needed to be awake and I was. The clock on the nightstand beside Lissa's sleeping silhouette said it was four in the afternoon, which is night for Moroi.

I grabbed my stake that I had under my pillow and went to sit at the end of Lissa's bed, waiting.

Waiting for the foolish attempt to catch off guard, I heard the silent footsteps in front of the door in the hall.

I decided that I was going to give them a false sense of security.

I leapt silently, catlike, to my feet and loped over so I would be behind the door when it opened.

The knob rattled silently as the person broke the lock.

The door opened an inch and then opened wider showing the dark frame a Guardian I didn't know.

He shut the door silently and when he did I stepped closer to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Looking for me?" I asked with a wicked smile.

He turned startled and lunged at me.

I heard Lissa gasp awake. I ignored her.

My fist connected with his face with a sickening crack. He stumbled back and then lashed out with his fists, blood pouring down his face.

I dodged his attacks gracefully landing more blows to his chest and a good solid kick to his gut.

Then something unexpected happened. Instead of letting me 'kill him' he wrenched open the door and fled.

My blood turned to ice as I saw what he dropped.

Lissa was gasping again but just because she hadn't been expecting more fake attacks.

But this was far from fake. The Guardian had dropped a stake. And not a practice stake like the Guardians who were playing fake Strigoi, but a real stake.

This wasn't a fake attack.

This was real.

**And the scary music plus lightning and thunder starts NOW! In the words of Bella Swan HOLY CROW! What the heck does this mean? What was the begining talking about, or better yet WHO was it talking about? And the attack! Who's behind it all! Why is the world crashing down around us! *Nervous cough* Heh heh sorry rant...Dr. Pepper...need I say more?**

**Hehehehe if you've read my Blood and Chocolate series you know that cliffhangers are a specialty of mine. So thanks for reading sorry that it has taken me so long. I haven't had internet in forever! I just got it back yesterday. So that is why there has been no updates! But again thanks for reading and being patient with me! Review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: Not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books, just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay yeah I had half of this written last night but I kind of had to stop...tornado kind of puts a damper on things like...electricity...**

**But anyways (And yes everything is fine, the tornado wasn't near us. The wind just messed with the power lines.) here is chapter twenty! (I have a feeling some people are going to be mad...)**

20

My first thoughts were to go after the bastard. But all of my training was telling me, _they come first_.

I looked at the open door and then back to Lissa. I bit my lip and moved to stand between her and the door.

"Rose what's wrong?" she asked timidly getting to her feet.

"Shh," I grumbled as I poked my head out of the room. I could just barely see the open door through the living room.

"What is going on?" Lissa asked more urgently from behind me.

I walked out to the hall. There was nothing out of the usual.

"Come with me," I whispered to Lissa.

She followed on my heel.

We walked stiffly out of the hall in to the living room. The front door was wide open.

"I thought the attacks were over," Lissa whispered in my ear.

I nodded, "The fake ones."

It took her a minute while my words sunk in.

"Fake? You mean this was real!" she almost shrieked.

"Shut up," I snarled peering out to the sunshine. Who ever it was it was definitely a dhampir.

But what dhampir would want to kill Lissa?

Who ever it was they were in for a rude awakening. Because if I ever find out who it was, well so much the better for me.

I went and closed the door and went straight for the phone. I dialed Dimitri's number reflexively.

"Hello," he answered. He should have been asleep but knowing him he was on a shift.

"Dimitri I need you," was all I said.

"I'll be right there," he said.

The line disconnected.

I put the phone down and grabbed Lissa. I pushed her down on the couch.

"Don't move," I ordered.

I went back and scanned her bedroom before I went to my own room.

The first thing I noticed was that my bedroom window was unlocked. Also my bedspread had been stirred around along with a few of my other belongings.

A knock on the door distracted me from my survey. I raced back to the living room and scowled at Lissa who had gotten up to get the door.

She smiled timidly and went back to the couch.

I took my stake out just in case and opened the door with it half raised.

Dimitri was standing there in his usual attire, jeans a black t-shirt and his jacket. His hair was pulled back in his usual ponytail and looked a little disheveled like he ran here.

"What's wrong?" he asked stepping towards me.

He glanced at my stake and to Lissa's confused and frightened expression.

"There was someone here, and they weren't faking their attack," I said taking his arm and leading him to the bedroom.

Which is kind of ironic in some sense, but never mind about that.

I showed him the stake and he picked it up delicately.

"Usually Guardians have their own insignia on their stakes, but this is a relatively new one. There's no way to trace it to the Guardian."

I seethed I wanted to find the Guardian and kill him.

"Did you recognize the Guardian?" Dimitri asked turning to me.

I shook my head, "I didn't see him at all but I'm positive on it being a him. He was to well muscled to be a girl."

Dimitri was thinking so I let my mind wander.

"We need to report this," he said turning back to the living room.

"No," I said reaching out and grabbing his arm.

He glanced back at me, "We need to report this Roza."

"No we don't, we can't," I said staring off more in to space than at him.

He seemed to realize something because he pulled out his phone.

I glared at him but he just put his finger to his lips.

"Eddie I need you to come to Lissa's place right now bring a stake and don't tell anyone what you're doing."

He hung the phone up and turned to go to the living room.

I followed after him.

"Lissa did you see anything?" he asked gently.

I watched him curiously.

She shook her head, "Who ever it was it was a guy, he was pretty big too."

He nodded and someone knocked on the door.

Eddie was already here.

Dimitri opened the door to reveal Eddie with windblown hair. I could clearly see the stake hiding under his shirt.

"I want you to watch over Lissa while I question Rose about what happened."

Eddie's eyes widened, "What happened?"

"Lissa can tell you," Dimitri said leading me towards Lissa's room.

"There's more stuff in my room. Someone went through my stuff."

His brow furrowed and he seemed more upset about this then the stake in Lissa's room.

He turned and went to my room and I followed. I closed the door out of habit.

He scanned the room and went straight to the window.

"He must have thought you weren't here. He was expecting to have to take you out first."

I glared at the window, "Whoever it was they were an idiot."

I distinctly saw Dimitri's lip twitch. He agreed with me! Ha!

"Did he take anything?" he asked turning to stare at me.

Just his standing there staring deep in to my eyes knocked me breathless. How in the hell do I deserve him? What did I do that gave me the right to say 'he's mine'?

"Roza did he take anything?" he asked closing the small space between us. He put one of his insanely warm hands on my shoulder.

Since words seemed to flee at the thought of speaking I just shook my head no.

He studied my face, "What's wrong?"

I shook my head again.

He put his other hand on my other shoulder, "You aren't good at lying Roza."

"I'm no good at lying to you," I said staring at the ground.

I didn't have to see his face to see the concern, it just radiated from him.

"Something is wrong and you aren't telling me," he said flatly taking his hands from my shoulders.

I looked up at his face, the stiffness to his voice had confused me.

His face was stone. He was showing no emotion.

"I'm sure you and Adrian will get it straightened out later tonight," he said in a voice void of all emotion.

I opened my mouth to say something smart but again words, poof, gone.

"That's what I thought," he said stepping farther away. He made it look like he was studying the window sill.

He turned back to look at me with his blank eyes, "Adrian spoke with me. He seems to be worried about you. I learned more about you from him than I have from you."

Words wouldn't have helped me so I just stared at the floor. This was one of those rare moments when I wanted to cry. Dimitri was mad at me because Adrian snuck in to my dreams and was too observant for his own good.

"Why haven't you told me about the depression Rose?"

He only called me Rose in public. That little detail was sort of like a slap in the face. So naturally my inner bitch came out.

"I haven't told you about the depression because there isn't any depression," I snapped.

My tone made his control waver but he kept his ground.

"Okay then why haven't you told me about your second thoughts?"

Adrian was going to die a very slow and painful death.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I heard him tap his foot.

I opened my eyes and could literally feel my anger blaze. I was like a flame that was just waiting to burn up everything in my path.

"I haven't told you anything because it doesn't mean anything!" I said venomously. "I haven't said anything because it's nothing. My second thoughts are about me and me alone. Adrian has no idea what he's talking about."

Apparently my change in attitude affected him because he was standing right in front of me, his face livid.

"Oh really? Adrian's a lot smarter than you give him credit for, than anyone gives him credit for. Tell me if I've got this wrong but he says that you constantly 'escape life' by going back to the land of the dead. That you are more comfortable there with the dead than you are here, that sometimes you just want to stay there. Have I got anything wrong?"

His voice was silent but it had the same deadly tone in it from when he threatened Viktor.

I took a step back from him because his anger was having bad chemical reactions with me. I wanted to just grab him and shake him, maybe throw him out the second story window.

"Well Rose?" he snapped.

I closed my eyes and tried to get a normal rhythm back to my lungs.

"Some of that is true. But he left out the part that the reason I come back each time is you."

I didn't wait or want to see his reaction. I moved towards the door and wrenched it open. Lissa was standing with Christian who she must have called while Dimitri and I were 'looking' over my room.

Christian glared up at me, "Aren't you supposed to be protecting Lissa not playing with your boyfriend?"

I snapped.

I grabbed him by his collar and slammed him against the wall.

"Don't ever talk to me like that again Christian Ozera. I am protecting her with everything I have. Why do you think she's alive right now? I'll tell you why, because of me! So do yourself a favor and shut the hell up about things you don't know shit about!"

I shoved him away and he fell in to the coffee table.

"Rose!" Lissa protested going straight to Christian.

Eddie just looked between me and the mess Christian had made with the coffee table.

"I'm leaving now," I snapped.

I headed towards the front door but Dimitri, quick as lightning, was blocking my exit.

"Rose this is no way to act," he said sternly.

My anger rose again, "Do not tell me how to act Belikov," I spat through my teeth.

His nostrils flared and he reached out for me. I flinched back and turned to Lissa.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Okay as much as the situation allows," she said looking at a piece of jagged wood.

I nodded to her and turned to Eddie.

"Watch her please."

His eyes widened, "Where are you going?"

I didn't answer him. I turned back to Dimitri, "Back to where I belong."

* * *

"Back to where I belong," were her last words. And they were directed straight at me.

I watched her go and I didn't even try to stop her.

The black shadow like mist crept from around her feet and just swallowed her, and she was gone.

And I didn't stop her.

Everyone in the room just stared at where Roza had been.

"She's coming back," Lissa said barely hiding her hysteria.

Christian finally stood up from the shattered mass of wood that used to be a coffee table. "I don't think so," he said staring at the floor.

"She has to come back," Lissa said starting to break down.

I couldn't move I was frozen in place. Every harsh word I had said to her I wanted to take back. I should have realized she would do something like this.

"Dimitri make her come back!" Lissa shrieked suddenly. She was glaring at me with tear filled eyes.

"It's her decision," I said in a voice I didn't recognize.

I wanted to get out of this place but the attack had me rooted in place. Lissa was not safe.

I brought my gaze to Christian, "Ozera get Lissa back to her room. Eddie guard the interior. I'll guard the perimeter."

Eddie nodded and shifted from shock to sheer seriousness. Christian half carried half dragged Lissa back to her room. I left the mess I had caused and walked in to the sunshine that was starting to dissipate.

It was almost morning.

I walked around to where Roza's bedroom window was. The wall was easy enough for someone to climb if they really wanted to. I scanned the rest of the area and then started a patrol.

My thoughts should have been on Lissa's safety but they were all concentrated on how much of an idiot I had been.

* * *

"So every time you get mad you're just going to pop in here?" Mason asked in a bored tone.

"For the time being," I said watching Dimitri's retreating figure. He was going to patrol outside.

"Hmm well I suggest you get mad often and knowing you it won't be difficult."

I glared at him, "I'm sure that I'm not supposed to abuse the privilege more than I already have. I'm not pushing it. I'm actually just here so I can figure out who tried to kill Lissa."

Mason nodded and sat up.

We were the only ones in the meadow today. Apparently my random appearances here had finally driven everyone crazy. The dead are kind of prejudice against the living.

"Didn't you recognize him at all?" Mason asked leaning over my shoulder.

I took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of my nose, "Mason if I knew who it was don't you think I would be there killing him? My best thought at the moment is maybe Viktor or that Strigoi guy."

"Why would Viktor want Lissa?"

I shook my head, for an all seeing dead guy he sure was slow.

"He has some sick fascination with her or something, I don't know if he's finally snapped and decided to off her or what. Maybe the guy wasn't even going for Lissa. He was looking for me first."

Mason seemed angered about that, "We'll find him."

I smiled and went back to watching Lissa break down. I felt bad for making her unhappy. She was hysterical because she thought I ditched her.

Dimitri however was strolling around outside making sure everything was okay. I wanted to punch him again.

No actually I wanted to punch Adrian. If Adrian knew how to keep his big fat mouth shut I wouldn't be fighting with Dimitri right now. Dimitri would never have known that I was in pain.

Adrian was going to pay.

And why not pay for it now?

I cleared the image of Dimitri and found Adrian in his room. He was still sleeping.

I smiled my wicked smile.

"Don't hurt him," Mason sighed.

"Oh don't worry, I will."

**Before you think ANYTHING let me remind you that this is a RosexDimitri fanfic. That's all I'm saying.**

**Okay so not _all_ I'm going to say. I personally would be very frightened if I were Adrian. I wouldn't want Rose mad at me. But anyways thanks for reading! Review! **


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: See previous chapter.**

**Okay well here is chapter twenty one. Hehehehe...**

21

So I was having a very peaceful dream with one of the girls I met last night. Then as the saying goes all hell broke loose.

An explosion broke me from my dream. I sat up in bed to see a dangerous coiling cloud of black smoke.

The first thing I thought was that I forgot to turn something off and the place was burning down around me.

Then I remembered that I don't even know how to turn on anything that could burn the house down.

And that's when a fist connected with the side of my face. The power behind the punch knocked me out of my bed. And whoever was attacking me went after me. I couldn't see because the smoke was still hanging around like an ominous cloud.

I struggled to my feet and tried to see. All I saw before a kick was aimed at my gut was a flash of violet.

"Rose!" I sputtered getting up from where I hit the wall.

"How could you?" she said from somewhere in front of me.

Another fist hit me in the jaw.

"Can you tell me what I did before I can't say it wasn't me?" I asked spitting blood on the floor.

She didn't answer but she did aim another punch that I barely dodged.

"You talked to Dimitri," she growled.

Shit.

"You told Dimitri that I was depressed? Where in the hell did you get that from? I'm not depressed I'm absolutely furious at this stupid life. At all the unfairness I've had to encounter since I got back. All I told you was that it was easier in the Shadow World than here because I don't have to worry about protecting anyone or getting killed!"

I tried to edge away from her but she grabbed my arm and twisted it behind me and slammed me in to the wall.

"What have I done to you that makes you want to ruin my life. The only happiness I've truly had since I came back was Dimitri. I've been trying to protect him from what I've been feeling because it's nothing. I don't want him to worry about me because worrying is unnecessary and dangerous!"

"I'm sorry Rose," I said as best I could. My face was squished against the wall. Her grip was causing spasms of pain to go through my arm. She could easily snap my arm in half if she wanted too.

"Sorry means nothing to me Adrian," she whispered in her deadly tone.

"Well I'm sorry that I'm worried about you and that you seem to only be happy because of one thing. That's not healthy you need to branch out. Find more than one thing that ties you here."

"I have more than one thing thank you," she said letting up on her grip. She pushed me away and I slammed in to the dresser. This time I heard a crack but I ignored the pain that was in my left arm.

"Yes I know that but you sure don't treat Lissa like this," I grumbled sitting up.

The black smoke was completely gone and I could see Rose clearly. She was standing in front of me and looked like an Angel of Darkness. She was wearing another crazy outfit that made her look hotter than should be allowed.

It was almost all black. Black tight pants with a black corset top lined with violet and a long black jacket that looked vaguely like Dimitri's jacket but had a more feminine look. If it was anyone other girl I would….

"Adrian," she said in a broken whisper, "I've always been honest about my feelings and they aren't going to change."

"I know but I still think that you don't break Lissa's arm when you get angry."

She glared at me, "I actually like Lissa though," she snapped. And then she disappeared.

I glared at the spot she disappeared at. I looked around my room. Rose sure did know how to destroy a place.

I got painfully to my feet and went to my mirror. I looked like hell. Blood poured down from my nose and I had a cut across one of my cheeks. I could already see the bruises swelling up around my eyes and cheeks. I didn't want to even look at my arm because I was sure it was broken, something was broken.

I winced as I took a step towards my bathroom. Rose's kicks were worse than her punches. I stumbled towards the bathroom and with my good arm got a wash cloth to wipe the blood of my face.

As soon as it looked like I hadn't walked out of a recent horror movie I went to my dresser. I tried to get my shirt off but it wasn't happening with my arm. I gave up and went to my closet and got a jacket. I draped it awkwardly over my shoulders to hide the bloody mess on my shirt.

Lissa's place wasn't that far from mine. I had arranged it so I didn't have to walk half way across the Court to find her every day.

Her duplex was in sight and I hurried towards it. My arm seared with pain and I wanted it taken care of by her rather than have to wait for it to heal on its own.

But before I got to knock on the door a dark figure appeared out of no where.

I took a step back and took in the figure of Dimitri. The sun was already down but I could still make out his strained expression.

"Were you attacked?" he asked flatly.

"Yeah by an insane woman spouting stuff I told you in confidence."

I saw Dimitri's expression waver, "You saw Rose?"

"That's putting it mildly," I said showing him my limp arm.

Dimitri glanced at my arm and then up to the house, "Lissa's there but she's upset."

"That doesn't surprise me, Rose didn't look to happy when I _spoke_ with her."

I didn't wait for him to answer I just pushed past him and knocked on the door.

Eddie answered and his widened startled expression made me wince. I really looked like hell.

I pushed past him and went in to the living room. Christian was just coming from Lissa's room. He had a ruffled look that made him look like he had just been in a fight.

One look at me and the first words he said were, "You look like hell so I guess Rose paid you a visit."

I nodded, "She seemed a tad bit upset," I said holding up my arm.

Christian looked at it, "Broken?"

"I think so it sure hurts like hell."

Christian shook his head, "I'm glad I'm not you. All she did was shove me through a coffee table."

That was the first time I noticed the shards of wood that had once been a table in the middle of the room.

"I'll go get Lissa," he said turning back towards Lissa's room.

I sighed and went to the couch.

I heard murmurs from somewhere and then finally Lissa in her pajamas came out clutching to Christian's arm.

"I'm so sorry Adrian!" she said flinging herself towards me. I winced.

"Oh God I'm sorry!" she said putting her hands to my cheeks. Her aura shifted from gloomy pale yellow to brilliant gold. I could feel the healing powers she was using on me. The pain in my arm quickly lessened to nothing and I felt my nose which I should have realized was broken form back together.

With a gasp she fell back in to the couch, "She was really mad wasn't she?" she whispered.

"Yes but not at you," I said leaning back too. Oddly I was much more tired than I had been.

"No it's my fault. After she disappeared I was furious with her for leaving. I think she took it and that made it worse."

I tried to remember seeing Rose's aura. There was nothing of the dark shadows it usually had when she took Lissa's anger.

"No Lissa I think this was all Rose. She had a right to be angry with me though. I betrayed her trust."

Lissa smiled grimly, "She'll forgive you. She has too."

"And if she doesn't she sure got her revenge."

Christian laughed under his breath and muttered something about how he wasn't pissing Rose off anymore.

* * *

Adrian's appearance should have shocked me but it didn't. I knew Roza and her attitude. I should have gone straight to him to protect him. He was a Moroi and deserved my protection, especially when it was going to be my fault he needed protection.

I turned the corner and stalked back to where I had begun. Roza had gone to Adrian but had left me. She was telling him things but not me.

"Did you ever think that the only reason I was telling him anything was because he invaded my dreams when I was thinking. You know when he gets in to dreams he sees and hears everything, including thoughts."

I turned on my heel to see Roza leaning against the wall. She was back in one of her outrageous outfits that made her look beautiful and lethal at the same time.

I hadn't realized I had been muttering under my breath.

She didn't look at me she just looked at her nails.

"You could have told me," I said sternly.

"There wasn't anything to tell Dimitri," she said coolly.

"You thinking the land of the dead is better than the land of the living is pretty big Rose."

She flinched and then glared at me, "I'll tell you what I told Adrian. The only thing I ever said about that was that it was easier there. That being in the Shadow World is easier because I don't have to worry about protecting anything or about getting killed. That's all I said. But this world has so much more for me to want to stay."

I looked up at her, "Doesn't sound like it. It sounds like the Shadow World is the perfect place what could possibly make you come back here when you don't have to worry about anything there?"

She looked at me with and incredulous expression then spoke, "You."

I had to look away from her. Her expression was too much to look at.

She moved over to me, "You are the reason I come back. How many times do I have to tell you this before it sinks in?"

She was right in front of me I could reach out and touch her if I wanted to.

She placed on of her hands on my chest. "You still think its wrong don't you?" she whispered.

I looked up at her. I hadn't told her what I felt about our relationship. That I was beyond happy that she actually wanted me but the feeling of going against everything I was ever taught was still there. Roza was still young. I've always felt to old for her. She should be someone she could go out with in public and not get stared down, like Adrian. Sure people wouldn't think the relationship wouldn't last because dhampir Moroi relationships never did. But they didn't know that Adrian actually cared enough about Roza to risk his life for hers. And he could give her something I would never be able to, a family.

She sighed, "Forget everything Dimitri. You aren't pushing me away. I know that that's what you've been trying to do. That you think I'm better off with someone else. Well I'm just going to tell you up front that that's a load of shit. Do you think after all that I've been through to finally be with you that you pretending you didn't want me was going to stop me? You tried that once and if I recall it didn't work out well for you. I seem to recall a cabin in the woods? Ringing any bells?"

Her expression was between anger and curiosity. She was angry with me for toying with her and curious at what I was going to say. She thought she had me trapped.

"You would be better off without me. You wouldn't have to risk your career with me. With someone like Adrian you could have a family."

Her expression turned icy, "So let me get this straight. You want me to be with Adrian? To have kids with Adrian? While you what? Go run off with Tasha and become a Dad too? Is that what you want? Do you want to be with Tasha or something so you can have kids?"

She twisted my words so incredibly that I was shaking my head, "No that's not what I'm saying at all."

"Well it sounds like it to me. If you wanted kids all you had to do is say so."

She looked away from me and up towards the lit window above us.

"I have no idea how we got to talking about this but this is not what I want," I told her stepping closer to her.

She brought her gaze back to me, "You're the one who brought it up."

I shook my head, "Roza I don't want to fight with you."

"But you don't want me," she said coldly. It was a harsh statement that broke through my control.

"I don't deserve you," I told her trying to catch her eyes.

She laughed.

"You don't deserve me?" she asked between her hysteria.

"No I don't," I said looking at her crossly.

She glanced back at me and burst in to laughter again, "You are an idiot," she managed to choke out.

"Roza," I said getting slightly irritated.

"You are a big dumb Russian idiot that is what you are. You don't deserve me? Try I don't deserve you. What could you possibly see in me? I'm barely an adult and you are just plain perfect. You don't have to fight for your control like I do. You've had years of experience in everything and I've had like what a month? If anyone doesn't deserve anyone it's me. There is no way on Earth that I should deserve you. But I want you and that is just a fact."

She was back in front of me again. Everything about her drove me crazy from her smile to her scent. She was sweet but lethal, beautiful but dangerous.

To hell with it.

I pulled her to me and kissed her. I felt her hands snake in my hair and I pulled her tighter. She was going to be my undoing. She was what my life revolved around now and there was no changing that fact. Even when I should have been worrying about Lissa and Adrian I was thinking of her.

I was too selfish. I wasn't ever going to be able to give her up, even if it was for the better.

**I didn't want them just saying sorry and getting back together. Notice how neither of them said sorry? I wanted them to get their feelings off their chests and just wait till later...those feelings are going to come back to haunt someone...**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books, just the stuff I make up.**

**Okay well here is the next chapter. Sorry it took me so long to post. But it's here now even if it is one in the morning.**

22

I didn't want to pull away from him but we were in the shadows beside Lissa's house. Dimitri was supposed to be doing surveillance. And after the attack that could have led to Lissa's death her protection was one of my main priorities.

So I pulled away from Dimitri. He seemed to feel the same as I did because with a sigh he stroked my cheek, "Roza you need to go speak to Lissa."

I glared up at the window.

"Go," he said again pushing me lightly towards the door.

I did but not happily.

Instead of just walking in I knocked.

Eddie opened the door with his stake hidden behind his back.

"Eddie every time I come here you are ready to kill me," I said pushing past him.

I heard him mutter something but I didn't pay attention. Adrian was sitting on the couch with Lissa while Christian was leaning up against the wall.

I hissed under my breath.

Adrian lurched to his feet and went to the far side of the room, "Simmer down."

I glared at him and sat down beside Lissa who just looked worriedly between me and the two boys I had previously beaten up.

"I didn't think you would come back," she whispered throwing her arms around me.

I hugged her back, "I'll always come back," I told her.

I let her cry some more mainly because I didn't really have anything to say. So I glared at Adrian while Lissa got everything out.

"I guess I can take a hint," Adrian said moving towards the door.

At this Lissa pulled back, "No Adrian, stay please."

I glanced at Christian who was trying to hide a grimace. Lissa might be jealous of my looks but Christian was jealous of the relationship between Adrian and Lissa. Not to mention the fact that the Queen was all for Adrian and Lissa getting married and continuing on the Dragomir line.

"I really don't think Rose wants me here," he said looking at the door. Eddie was leaning up against it and he looked from me to Adrian. He was probably wondering if I would try and attack him again.

"Well this isn't Rose's house it's mine and I want you to stay," Lissa said looking sternly at me.

I averted my eyes and stared at the floor.

"Actually Lissa I have business to attend to and I need to go home to change."

Lissa looked at Adrian listlessly but didn't argue with him.

Eddie opened the door for him and followed him out. Dhampirs were always protecting Moroi. They came first.

Christian looked pained. He wanted to be here for Lissa but he was irritated with her because of Adrian.

"Well I'm going to head back," he said going towards the door.

I glared at him, "You are not."

He looked at me and then to the door, "You gonna make me stay here?"

I stood up, "I will if I have too," I said menacingly.

He flinched back, "Fine."

"I just want to get some things straight," I said moving so I was between Lissa and Christian.

"I would like to clarify the point that I have no feelings for Christian or Adrian. None at all, actually I think they are both pain in the asses. I will protect Christian when I need to and I will do it civilly because back at school we got along as best as we could and it didn't kill us. But I will not tolerate any cracks on my private life. And Christian if you step out of line once with any of your usual smart ass comments you will find your self shoved through a wall rather than a coffee table."

Christian kept his eyes on the floor the whole time.

"And Christian from personal experience Lissa only has eyes for you. She loves you and you only so stop moping around or I'll put you through a wall for the hell of it."

He looked up at me and I saw a slight smile tugging at the edge of his mouth.

Lissa however looked thoroughly confused.

"You think I like Adrian?" she asked incredulously.

Eddie walked back in catching the end of the conversation. He looked as if he wanted to walk straight back out.

I smiled at him and turned towards my room, "And this is where I leave."

I escaped to my room as I heard Lissa chastise Christian some more.

But my room was still disturbed from where the Guardian had gone through it.

I went around and put stuff back and changed in to a t-shirt of Dimitri's I had stolen and then collapsed on to my bed so I could get at least an hour or two of sleep.

I could slightly hear the raised voice of Lissa and Christian and that's when I slipped in to Lissa's head.

"I cannot believe you Christian!" Lissa shouted. "After everything we've been through you think I would just dump you for Adrian? Adrian?" she asked slightly hysterical.

"Well forgive me for not having any confidence in our relationship when you're always running off to spend time with Adrian."

"We're studying Spirit!" she screeched.

"That doesn't matter. Adrian can go out with you in public without causing people to stare at you. No one is expecting him to turn Strigoi at any moment."

"Christian," Lissa sighed. "I love you how hard is that to understand?"

I broke out of Lissa's head when I realized that their conversation sounded a lot like what was said between me and Dimitri.

I didn't want to think about anything but sleep. So naturally I fell in to a fitful dream.

At least I was lucky enough not to have Adrian visit me.

Lucky was the wrong word.

My dream was terrible. I was back in the little room I had been held in. I was tied to the chair while I had to watch everyone I loved get filed past me towards a ravenous group of Strigoi.

Every time I strained against my bindings they got tighter. Blood ran down my wrists and it just made the Strigoi crazier with bloodlust.

I couldn't even save Dimitri.

I woke up drenched in sweat. I was surprised I hadn't screamed.

I glanced at the clock to see I had only been asleep for a little less than an hour.

I groaned and got out of bed. After that I would be lucky enough to ever sleep again.

I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt rather than my previous outfit. I laced up my boots and walked out of my room.

Lissa was watching T.V. and Eddie was standing guard next to the door.

"Where's Christian?" I asked Eddie rather than Lissa.

"He went to the feeders, Lissa wanted to wait till you could go with her."

I glanced at Lissa, "You didn't have to wait."

She looked at me with puffy eyes, "I didn't want to go without you. I'm scared Rose."

I tried to smile sympathetically but I mean come on someone had just tried to kill her.

"Let's go to the feeders, maybe we'll catch Christian."

Lissa didn't seem thrilled but she did seem a little better.

I walked near guard as Eddie trailed after us trying to be discreet.

We reached the feeders just as Christian was walking out.

I nodded towards him. I refused to speak to him. Lissa and Christian needed to work this out on their own.

Lissa smiled at him and he tried to return it. He glanced back at me.

"If you want a second just ask," I said exasperated.

I stalked off towards Eddie and we watched them like hawks.

"So did you find anything about the Guardian who attacked Lissa?" Eddie whispered.

I shook my head, "I couldn't find a damn thing back in the Shadow World or here."

Eddie looked grim.

Then a too peppy looking girl bounced up to us. It took me a minute to realize it was Mia.

"Mia it's good to see you," I said politely.

She looked at me wide eyed, "Oh my God did Rose just speak? And politely?"

I glared at her, "If you preferred me to be hostile I could switch."

"No I'll take you polite any day. I heard from Christian what you did to Adrian."

I couldn't help but smile.

But I caught movement from the corner of my eye. Lissa was going inside to the feeders.

"Eddie watch Christian while I'm inside," I said moving off towards Lissa.

"What's wrong?" I heard Mia ask Eddie.

I didn't wait to see what he told her.

Lissa was standing beside a very hot human. I admired the bronze tones in his hair but when Lissa started to feed I looked away. I still felt the sickening feeling around feeders.

I looked out the window while I waited.

Lissa tapped me on the shoulder, "Let's go get a spa treatment or something," she suggested.

I smiled, "Sure if it makes you happy."

She sighed in relief and then took me by the arm and dragged me back to the place she had taken me when we had been here during the trial.

Walking in the receptionist gave us a dirty look, especially me.

Lissa just beamed and tried to get us worked in. My mind wandered while I waited.

Lissa came back to where I was standing, "We got in but it's not for a half hour."

"Let's go see Rhonda," I said surprising even myself.

Lissa looked at me with questions in her gaze and her head.

"Okay," she said leading me towards the halls that led to Rhonda's room.

The woman behind the desk looked at us with almost the same look as the other receptionist had.

But before she had the pleasure of turning us away Rhonda came out and smiled at us, "I was expecting you."

Lissa just looked mystified but followed when Rhonda beckoned.

"I have seen many great things concerning you Lissa. You are going to bring change."

I rolled my eyes. It sounded just like her other prediction. It wasn't that hard to guess that Lissa was going to bring change. Her boyfriend had already set that in motion.

"But I would like to speak to your friend in private if you don't mind," Rhonda said sweetly.

I will admit that I hadn't been paying attention so when Lissa's mind went whirling because of the question I glanced up.

Rhonda was looking at me like she was concentrating very hard.

Lissa smiled and got up and went back to the other room.

I glanced around nervously because I didn't want Lissa out of my sight.

"You are marked," Rhonda stated coolly.

I looked at her, "Yes."

"May I see?" she asked reaching towards me.

I eyed her curiously and then held out my arm.

She studied the mark for a long time. I concentrated on Lissa's mind so I was sure she was okay.

"Your destiny is a sad one," she said solemnly.

I just stared at her, "Why?" I asked.

"Always having to choose between life and death, friends and love, it's a hard life a hard destiny to follow."

"Why do I have to follow a destiny? Why can't I just have my life?"

She smiled, "Things are never simple dear heart. We all have to fight in the end you just have to fight a little more."

"And that's fair?" I asked looking around at the room. Candles littered every surface.

"Life isn't fair Rosemarie. If it was there wouldn't be any reason to live."

"Why do you say that?" I asked looking back at her.

"If life was fair there would be nothing to fight for. We live to fight for something, a chance to live, to love, to be. Take that away and that's not a life."

**Well well well that was very enlightening. I wonder what it will mean in the long run. And speaking of long run I vote for the next chapter to be about Rose and Dimitri. I think they need to work a few more things out...you know talking is the best medicine....**

**Thanks for reading! Review!!!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters.**

**Okay sorry it took me so long. I kind of got distracted...I'm sick, Easter dinner, Reeses, Trace Adkins, youtube...don't ask.**

23

We left Rhonda and all her psychic weirdness behind and went to get Lissa's spa treatment.

While the woman was painting my nails a vibrant shade of violet, (Yes I've fallen in to the whole color thing) I noticed something.

"Hey where's that guy?" I asked Lissa. I couldn't for the life of me remember his name.

She looked over at me, "What guy?"

"That dhampir who was here last time," I said peering around the other people who were here.

Lissa shrugged, "He's probably doing some other stuff. I had to request him last time."

"Oh," was the only thing I could think to say. Something though was bothering me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"He's down at the other salon," the woman painting my nails said. "He usually switches every few days."

This seemed like a reasonable answer so I let my worries go and tried to relax.

What felt like hours later we left and I was more pampered than I had ever been in my life.

Lissa had been relentless. She dragged me from place to place. She even made me try on clothes! Sure if this was a few months ago I would have had the time of my life. But now it was just unnecessary.

So we walked back to Lissa's place laden down with bags of makeup and clothes. I was completely done over. Lissa had put me in a dress of all things. It was black and clingy just the way I liked it. But for just going around walking through stores it was a little much.

My hair was even professionally done as well as my makeup. This was the old me. Lissa was trying desperately to bring her back to life.

"Lissa we can't do this kind of stuff anymore," I said solemnly.

"Oh sure we can, we have in till you get fully instated and in till I go off to college. That reminds me, have you decided on what classes you're going to take?"

I gave her my best _what the hell are you talking about_ face.

"Don't look at me like that you know you have to go to school too."

"I know that but I'm taking all of the same classes as you. You should know that."

Lissa frowned, "But that's not fair. This is college. You get to pick the classes you want to take."

"Lissa, college is for people who are preparing for other jobs. I already have my job."

"But you should still take classes that you're interested in."

I shook my head, "I'm just interested in your safety."

Lissa seemed to figure out that she wasn't going to win. Her thoughts were swimming over different ways to approach the conversation later.

I tried to ignore it by surveying. The night was darker than usual. The summer was finally starting to diminish. We only had a few more weeks before Lissa's school started. And consequently mine too.

"Hey is that Dimitri?" Lissa asked pointing to a figure circling Lissa's duplex.

I glanced over and saw Dimitri's familiar figure.

"Yeah," I said looking away.

Lissa smiled and her thoughts took a turn for the worst.

"Why don't you take a break? Christian and Eddie are probably already there. Eddie can keep me safe."

I glance back at Dimitri. He was rounding the corner and was soon out of sight.

I bit my lip.

"Come on Rose you and Dimitri need to talk," she said walking towards the house.

"Fine but I'm checking out the house first."

"That's fine with me," she said loping gracefully to the door.

Christian and Eddie were in fact already there. Christian was reading a book in one of the armchairs. His face lit up when he saw Lissa. Apparently he was over what happened earlier.

She smiled and went to sit with him. I nodded at Eddie and went to survey my room once again and Lissa's. I made sure all the windows were locked.

I went back to Eddie.

"I'll be back later. I want you to never let them out of your sight."

Christian glanced over and looked like he wanted to object.

I smiled wickedly at him. His eyes narrowed and he looked like he was on the verge of insulting me. But his eyes traveled back to the coffee table that was still a mess on the floor.

He didn't say anything.

Laughing I turned back to Eddie, "Well just make sure no one tries to kill them."

Eddie nodded, "I won't let you down Rose."

"I know you will Eddie."

Smiling I went out the front door.

With my heightened senses I found Dimitri easily. He was still circling but he was branching out and going around the other surrounding houses.

I followed him for awhile to see if he would catch me. I went around to the other side of the house and leaned up against the wall. I blended in perfectly with the shadows.

He didn't see me in till I spoke.

"You would think being a Guardian of your stature you would have noticed me following you."

He turned on his heel to face me, "I noticed you I was just waiting to see what you were going to do."

I smiled wickedly, "How come I don't believe you?"

He took a step closer making me back in to the wall.

"Are you sure?" he asked. His breath mingled with mine. I could smell his beautiful scent mixed with leather and aftershave.

But I was holding my own tonight.

I stepped forward so we were less than two inches apart, "I'm positive."

So much for his control.

His lips crushed mine before I could blink. He pushed me against the wall and it was like we melted together. Being with him was so easy. It was like we were one person.

He broke away and we were both breathing hard. He tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear. "Roza."

I put my finger to his lips, "Let's not talk."

He kissed my finger and took my hand. We used the shadows that I knew so well to escape unseen.

We barely made it inside his room.

"Life would be easier if we could just stay like this forever," I whispered.

I was lying across his chest and felt warmer and safer than I had ever felt in my life. Just being with him was like we were in another universe.

He rubbed my arm, "I agree but life isn't easy."

"You are the second person to tell me that today," I said leaning up to stare at him.

His hair was pushed up in odd angles that made me smile.

"Who was the first?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"Rhonda," I said rolling over him to grab his t-shirt from the floor. I slipped it on and got to see his face fall.

He pulled me back so I was lying beside him.

"What did she tell you?"

"If life was fair there would be nothing to fight for. We live to fight for something, a chance to live, to love, to be. Take that away and that's not a life."

I remembered her words perfectly.

"She's very smart," Dimitri said looking up at the ceiling.

"I don't know she's kind of repetitive."

Dimitri chuckled, "Nonbeliever."

"It's not that I don't believe. I mean her last 'prediction' was pretty straight on. It's just I don't like the thought of destiny and fate. I want to choose my life not have it planned out for me. But it seems like I don't have that chance anymore."

"You always have that chance Roza," he said kissing my forehead.

"Not for me Dimitri. My destiny is set according to Rhonda. And I don't know if it's a destiny that involves a happy ending for everyone."

As quick as lightning I was on my back with Dimitri hovering over me.

"Roza don't talk like that. You make your destiny you choose."

I looked up in to his dark eyes. "Life isn't easy though. Sometimes our choices lead us down a path of no return. And I'm already running down a path that has no end."

A knock on the door broke our little paradise. I looked hesitantly. If they barged in here they were in for a surprise.

"I love you," I told him reaching up to kiss him goodbye.

I silently thanked myself for wanting to steal another one of his shirts because showing up in Lissa's living room in nothing would have been awkward.

Christian looked like Christmas had come early.

Before he could say a word though I cut him off, "Say a word and you're going to become a wall ornament."

* * *

Why is everything in the world bent on keeping Roza and I apart?

I got angrily to my feet and grabbed my jeans from the floor. I kicked Roza's clothes under the bed and made sure nothing was visible.

I mussed up my hair more to make it look as if I had just woken up.

Alberta was standing in front of my door patting her foot.

"You were asleep?" she asked surprised.

"I do sleep from time to time yes."

She raised her eyebrows, "The Queen has passed judgment on Rosemarie."

I swallowed, "And?"

"And after much persuasion she has decided that Rose showed exceptional skills. Rose will be getting her promise mark tonight. But there are a few strings attached I'm afraid."

Of course there are.

"The Queen refuses to allow Rose to stay in Lissa's house while they are still here."

This didn't bother me, the _still here_ did.

"Still here?" I questioned.

"Yes the Queen has decided to have a safe house for the Dragomir Princess on the Lehigh campus. Rosemarie along with Guardian Castile and a few more experienced Guardians will be assigned to her."

"What about Christian Ozera?" I asked wondering what the Queen would try to do to separate them.

"The Queen has no interest in what the Ozera boy does. He has his own money he can do what he pleases."

I nodded, "So she won't object to him going with Vasilisa?"

"Oh I'm sure she'll throw a fit," Alberta said smiling slightly.

I nodded, "Thanks for telling me. Who's going to tell Rose?"

Alberta's smile left, "Guardian Hathaway."

"That will be interesting."

"Indeed," Alberta agreed, "I have to go set up for the ceremony. I suggest you get dressed."

She left without another glance back at me.

I sighed and went to the shower.

* * *

"What?" I asked completely taken aback.

"I said your mother is here," Eddie repeated.

"What?" I asked again.

Christian grabbed my shoulder and pulled me so I was looking straight at him.

"The woman who unfortunately gave life to you is at the door."

It was a reflex reaction when I punched him.

He snapped back, "You need counseling."

"I had counseling once, it didn't help," I said getting to my feet.

Lissa was already healing Christian's broken nose.

She gave me a dirty look so I did the childish thing. I stuck my tongue out at her.

She did the same I smiled and walked to Eddie who was standing in front of the door.

I bit my lip and opened the door.

"Rosemarie," my mother greeted.

"Mother," I said in return.

We were very formal for some reason. "Your promise mark ceremony is tonight, I brought you something ethical to wear."

She held out the usual Guardian attire, it was just a bit more formal.

"Promise mark ceremony?" I asked looking at the clothes to her face.

"Yes, the Queen has approved your Guardianship."

I wanted to scream but doing this in front of my mother would make me lose some of those control points I had been raking up.

"Thank you for telling me," I said politely.

She actually seemed surprised with my civility.

"You're welcome, the ceremony is in two hours they expect you there on time."

And that was it. Well apart from when she told me where to go. She was just here and then she left. Apparently she was still pissed at me.

I shrugged it off and went back to the living room. Lissa was biting her tongue.

"Just let it out Lissa."

She squealed, "Rose! You're going to be my Guardian!"

Then she ran over and hugged me and was actually crying. She didn't think the Queen would ever let me become a Guardian.

**You know I'm thinking we need a Rose and Janine confrontation. Heck let's throw Dimitri in too! We haven't had a good mother daughter fight yet. I think it's time. Oh and I wonder what's going to happen between Dimitri and Rose now that Rose is going off to college with Lissa. Oh and Christian! Oh and can someone please tell me what that guys name was? The dhampir guy that was in the salon because I'm drawing a big fat blank! I don't have my third book I let my friend borrow it!**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah I'm not Richelle Mead yada yada yada so I don't own anything from her books just the stuff I make up. The end.**

**Okay well here is chapter twenty four. It wasn't as 'bloody' as I wanted it to be. I've decided to maybe have some more conflicts so I saved some for future confrontations.**

24

So the promise mark ceremony wasn't that different from my molinija ceremony. But this (in the eyes of the Queen and Guardians who looked down on my previous behaviors) would show that I am in fact a real Guardian.

I had never seen the guy tattooing the back of my neck and that made me a bit nervous. And not being able to see Dimitri had also made me nervous. I was expecting to be able to walk with him here but he had been whisked away by other Guardians. I have a feeling my mother was behind everything.

I sat in the chair in front of a ton of Guardians I knew, and even more that I didn't.

They all seemed to be curious about me. There were even a few Moroi here.

The tattoo artist sat down in a chair behind me and swabbed the back of my neck.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the marks that I already had. Not the molinija marks but the runes and intricate swirls that decorated my skin.

The guy started and then stared at me, "What is that?"

I smiled, "A different kind of Promise Mark. Will you please try not to cover it up?"

He turned me around so he could see my neck again, "The spot where the promise mark is usually placed is clear so that won't be a problem."

"Good," I said trying to loosen up.

The whole process took barely any time. When it was over I pulled my hair up so he could fit a bandage to cover my new tattoo while it healed. I had a funny feeling that it wouldn't take long.

That's when a rush of people descended on me. Lissa was first quickly followed by Christian and Eddie.

Lissa hugged me and started spouting off about how proud she was of me, and how I was going to be the best Guardian ever.

Christian nodded towards me but didn't move to hug me. Huh almost like he's afraid of me….

Eddie actually hugged me, "I knew you could do it," he whispered.

He pulled away and smiled shyly.

I turned from my small group of friends to scan the lines of Guardians. I could see my mom making her way through the crowds to come to me. But the one person I was looking for was no where in sight.

"Looking for me little dhampir?"

I turned on my heel to glare at Adrian.

"No actually I wasn't."

"Ah too bad," he said running a hand through his hair.

Christian and Eddie looked at him like he was idiot.

Lissa looked worried.

_Do not do anything Rose. If you do you might as well go get the tattoo removed._

I smiled at her, "I wasn't planning on doing anything."

She narrowed her eyes.

My name was being called by someone I wish would just go away.

"Mother," I said again in a formal tone.

"Let's go outside I need to speak with you."

My puzzled expression was reflected in Lissa's eyes. So I did the only thing when your arm is in the vice like grip of Janine Hathaway. I followed her out a side door of the auditorium like building.

"What's this about?" I asked as soon as she let go of my arm.

"This is about your Guardian duties."

I leaned against the wall, "Yes?"

She narrowed her eyes at me, "You have to be serious about this Rosemarie. The Dragomir Princess is in your hands now. If anything happens to her on your watch you will ruin every chance you have at ever becoming a Guardian again."

"Well it's a good thing that I don't plan on letting anything happen to her or being anyone else's Guardian."

My mother's eyes narrowed even more and her nostrils flared, "Your attitude is not going to improve anything."

"Improve what? I'm a Guardian now and I've been assigned to Lissa."

"You've been assigned to Lissa's Guard yes but you are just like any other Guardian now. You can be reassigned at the drop of a hat. You need to watch your back."

"Do you know something?" I asked stepping forward.

"I know that if you set one toe out of line the Queen will have you assigned to some non-Royal who works in a coffee shop."

I glared at her, "What is your problem?"

She returned my glare with one just as icy, "I have no problem."

"Yes you do. Ever since I got back you've treated me like shit, like you're just waiting for me to screw up. Why can't you just believe in me and that I have changed?"

"Because Rosemarie you always screw up and I want to make sure you don't endanger anyone when you do."

She might as well of just slapped me.

"I'm glad you have so much confidence in me. I mean you sure acted like you believed in me when you were trying to convince the Queen about me becoming a Guardian. If you were so sure I was going to screw up why didn't you just ship me off to the blood whores?"

This time her hand lashed out. I felt my face redden as the shock of her actually hitting me sunk in.

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I didn't want to lose my control because my two faced bitch of a mother slapped me.

"Do not talk to me like that Rosemarie," she snapped.

Without opening my eyes I summoned up as much venom as I could, "Then don't talk to me like I'm a child."

"You are a child," she spat.

My eyes flared open and I took a step so I was hovering over her.

"I have seen more than you will ever dream of. I've been in the land of the dead and been fortunate to come back. I've killed more Strigoi than you ever imagined possible. And I am something you do not want to piss off."

I was proud that I just sounded dangerous and not loud and childish. The threat of my words still lingered while my mother got her bearings.

"Do not threaten me Rosemarie. You should show me respect I am your mother."

Snap.

I slapped her with all my force behind it.

I watched slightly amused at her expression of pure fury.

I dodged her fist when it struck out at me. I aimed a kick that sent her reeling backwards.

When I turned to get a better angle she struck out again and hit me square in the jaw. I bit back the hiss of anger I wanted to let go by aiming another solid kick to her gut.

We went after each other after that. Blood was pouring down from my mother's nose and I was sure I had a cut on my cheek. But we just kept going. My mother was an amazing fighter but my 'uniqueness' gave me advantages. Like being faster and more graceful than her, I soon had her breathing hard and trying to look for an out.

After another punch to her face strong hands grasped my shoulders and held me back from inflicting more pain on my mother.

I should have known this was how Dimitri would show up. He held me back and I let him. I could have easily got out of his arms but I didn't. I needed to get back under control.

Seeing my mother bloodied up and knowing it was my doing made me a little smug. But the anger I had felt was dangerous. It reminded me of what happened back at school with Jesse and his idiot friends.

Instead of being sensible though my mother walked straight over to me.

"Rosemarie you are childish and you need to grow up. Acting like this will in fact send you to the blood whores. And I will not have one as a daughter."

Another burst of fury rose up inside me. Her using that name in front of Dimitri when she knew perfectly well about his family.

I broke out of Dimitri's arms and threw another punch at my mother just as she did. But hers mistakenly hit Dimitri when he foolishly tried to lunge between us. It didn't stop him though. He threw us apart.

"That is enough out of the both of you," he said in his Guardian voice.

My mother got to her feet and threw a vicious glare towards Dimitri.

I got up too and walked over to him. He wouldn't let me anywhere near my mother.

"You don't want a blood whore for a daughter fine. Consider me just another Guardian because that is all I see you as. You are not my mother."

I turned away from her and stalked off down the alley between the auditorium thing I had been in and another building. But I could see people at the end and I didn't want to see anyone with blood soaked clothes.

I called the shadows and disappeared to the Shadow World because the real world was a hassle at the moment.

* * *

"Damn Rose you look like hell," said the very annoying voice of Mason the not so friendly ghost.

"Should you use language like that here?" I asked collapsing on the ground.

He shrugged, "Probably not. So what happened to you?"

I glanced at him, "I figured you would have watched."

His eyebrows rose, "Who did you get in a fight with?"

"Janine Hathaway," I stated with no emotion.

"Your mother?" he asked wrinkling his brow.

"She is not my mother," I said coldly.

"Rose yes she is," Mason said like he was talking to a six year old throwing a tantrum.

I leaned up, "No she is not. She might have given birth to me but she did not raise me. The Academy raised me. She just had me because she thought it was her duty. Mothers love their children not beat the hell out of them. They believe in them they don't ask themselves when their kids are going to screw up."

Mason looked at lost for words, probably due to the fact that I was starting to cry.

"Rose I'm sorry," he finally managed to say.

I nodded, "I know but it doesn't change anything."

He smiled my favorite smile, "I know but at least it's something."

I smiled and leaned back so I was lying in the tall waving grass.

"So where is everyone?" I asked him.

He looked around, "Oh well like I told you before. We 'dead' people don't like living people. You are starting to get on peoples nerves. Or maybe it's me that's getting on peoples nerves…" he said trailing off.

"How many other places are there?" I asked looking up at the sky that was always perfect.

He leaned back with me, "No telling. This place is just the middle. The between worlds where spirits go while they wait, it's just an endless plane that allows you anything you want."

"Hmm," I said. My eyelids were starting to droop.

"You need to go back Rose," Mason whispered from beside me. You don't need to fall asleep here.

"I know," I said suddenly sitting up. I couldn't even imagine the thought of falling asleep here. Years could go by in the real world without me even realizing it.

The shadows wrapped around me and deposited me back in to the desolate alley. I could actually see blood marking the fight between Janine and me on the pavement.

I sighed and then made she shadows come back so I didn't have to walk home. I landed in the hall of Lissa's house.

No one was home so I went to the bathroom. I looked like hell.

My face was covered in blood. I didn't look closely. I just stripped of the clothes and hopped in to the shower.

As I was washing my hair I slipped in to Lissa's mind.

"Where did she go?" Lissa asked Dimitri.

I was upset to see a red mark on his face from where Janine had hit him.

"I think she might have just gone back your house. She needed to get cleaned up before she saw anyone."

I felt Lissa's anger churn, "How could a mother treat their child like that?"

Dimitri didn't say anything. I would have to ask him about that later.

Lissa sighed, "Well I guess we should go home. It's not like there's going to be anything else tonight."

Dimitri nodded, "No this was just supposed to be a small ceremony."

Lissa looked around at the array of people. Everyone seemed to be interested in Rose.

I pulled out of Lissa's head because it was giving me a headache.

I shut the water off and wrapped myself up with one of the overly plush towels.

I timidly glanced at myself in the mirror.

There was nothing in my reflection.

Unbelieving I climbed on to the counter to get closer to the mirror. And sure enough there wasn't much of anything. My face was just slightly pink and tender in a few places.

But now that I think about it. She didn't really punch me in my face. She just slapped me and then got one punch in. I however and been relentless.

Climbing down from the counter though I could feel that the rest of me hadn't been lucky, I could feel the bruises before I even looked down at my sides. Purplish and red blotches dotted my skin.

I sighed and pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt, so much for being indestructible.

**I just have a few words to say tonight. Adrian is a freakin idiot, he must be high or something. And what do you think about Rose's little comment about her mother? About how Janine is no longer her mother?**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: See previous chapters.**

**Yeah I know. How many people were thinking about hunting me down? But I have my reasons!!! Like I was grounded for most of the time I've been gone. I only got ungrounded because I got a job! Oh and I just want to let you guys know I got off at eight tonight and then found out my dad was in a car accident. Don't worry! He's fine, though he has this huge, I mean majorly huge bump on his head. I mean you can see if from halfway across the room. But everything is fine. And I have to work the next two nights so yeah...just read this chapter already.**

25

_Oh hell no, hell no, hell no, hell no, hell no, hell no!_

I hadn't meant to get in to Lissa's mind. It was slightly harder when I let my guard down. And the only time I ever let my guard down was when I was asleep.

And her stupid idiotic plan was not going to happen. Nope, not in a million years.

I ripped the blankets off of me and stormed towards her room. I kicked the slightly ajar door open.

"Hell no," I snarled at her. She was propped up on pillows reading a magazine. She looked up at me innocently.

"Hell no, hell no, hell no, hell no!"

Her brow furrowed, "What is your problem?" she asked. A hint of a smile was tugging at her lips and she was desperately trying to shield her thoughts.

"I know what you're planning and I'm going to tell you again, hell no!"

Lissa smiled timidly, "Rose I think you're overreacting just a bit."

I leaned up against the doorjamb, "No actually I think I'm handling this quite well. You're still alive, nothing's broken, yep quite well."

Lissa rolled her eyes and a thought broke loose in her head.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" I said running my hands through my hair. "I can't do something like that! I'm a Guardian now! I just became a Guardian. I can't go back to doing that kind of stuff two days after I was instated!"

"But Rose you don't go on duty till we leave. So technically you're on vacation! You can do anything and I think this is something you should surely do! Just think about that image I know you saw. Think of Dimitri's face!"

I turned away from her, "Lissa please, I'm already going to be watched like a hawk. I can't do something like this!"

"Rose this is not just for you! It's for the both of us. I mean come on the Queen can't cancel this. She actually is the one who gave me permission."

My stomach felt like it was doing flip flops. The Queen gave permission for this torture.

I sighed and Lissa seemed to think she'd won.

"I'm not wearing that dress."

Lissa smiled, "Oh yes you will."

I glared at her, "What are you going to make me?"

Her smile turned a bit evilly, "You know I could.'

I sneered at her, "No you couldn't, even if you and Adrian used your powers together you couldn't make me lift my finger."

Her eyes narrowed and I could feel her start to concentrate, she was trying to prove me wrong.

I leaned back against the wall and waited.

Lissa's eyes scrunched together and her face turned comical.

"I told you so," I said turning around. I stalked back to my room and wrenched open the little closet. Just like I had seen in her mind there was a white garment bag hanging there. I wrinkled my nose and slammed the closet door. I grabbed some clothes and went to the bathroom slamming both my bedroom and the bathroom door as I went.

I took a quick shower and then looked over my bruises. Or at least the skin that used to be bruised. My skin was absolutely flawless. If I hadn't been pissed I probably would have found something interesting in the fact that I was no longer hurt.

But I was pissed so I got dressed dried my hair opened the door to see Lissa with Christian on the couch. I scowled at them as I went to the little laundry room and threw my clothes in to the dirty clothes hamper.

I stalked back to stand in front of the happy couple. Eddie was in the corner of the room and he was watching me warily.

I glanced at him, "I won't hurt them."

He nodded slightly his eyes were still glued to me.

"I have absolutely no idea why you are doing this to me Lissa but I'll go along with it if I can leave this so called 'party' early."

Lissa looked at me quizzically, "Why do you want to leave early?"

I glanced away from her piercing green eyes, "I have some business to take care of."

I felt the questions surface in her mind but she didn't ask any. Surprisingly they all consisted of me and Dimitri. I would have to talk to her about that later.

"Where are you going?" she asked suddenly.

I glanced at her and then towards Eddie.

"I um need to go have a talk with someone," I managed to stutter out.

Christian arched an eyebrow, "So I'm guessing you are going to go find Dimitri and 'talk' with him?" His smile was to much for me.

I glared at him, "Yes I have to go punch him in the face because I didn't get to throw any in his direction last night. But if you're volunteering to take his place I'm completely okay with that. I mean sure it won't be the same but I'll live, you on the other hand…well there's at least a twenty eighty chance."

His smile vanished and Lissa glared at me. Eddie's expression never faltered but I could see the hint of a smile.

I turned to him, "Eddie can you watch these two why I'm out?"

He nodded, "Sure thing Rose. Nothing will happen to Lissa while I'm here."

I smiled, "Thanks."

He smiled and I noticed the slight difference in the expression. Ever since Spokane Eddie's smiles haven't reached his eyes. But now it seems like they're getting closer.

"Lissa do not leave this house in till I get back."

Her eyes narrowed, "But I have to go to the feeders."

I glared at her, "If I get as much of a hint at you leaving this house that dress hanging in my closet will find a new home. And I'm thinking it's the garbage disposal."

She actually looked horrified.

Christian looked slightly annoyed, "Why can't she leave, you aren't even supposed to be here."

"Christian!" Lissa snarled.

She looked furious.

I glanced between the two. Then I found the thought in Lissa's head.

I didn't even wait for them to say anything more. I went straight for the front door and took off towards Dimitri's room. I ran the whole way, not stopping for any of the curious looks I was getting.

I ran straight past a few people, some even called out at me but I wasn't stopping. I ran up to Dimitri's door and threw the door open. He was in his chair reading one of his Western Novels.

I glared at him and slammed the door behind me. I seemed to be slamming a lot of things today.

"Roza?" he asked setting his book down on the arm of the worn leather chair.

I glared at him and crossed my arms.

"What happened?" he asked walking to stand in front of me.

I didn't say anything but continued to glare.

He sighed, "What is it. Is it your mother or is it the not being with Lissa thing right now?"

"Both," I snarled.

He ran his hand through his perfect hair. Usually it was pulled back in a ponytail but tonight it was hanging loose. I bit the edge of my cheek, I was not getting distracted.

"I'm sorry, but I was going to tell you."

I glared, "What were you going to tell me? That supposedly I'm not allowed to stay with Lissa for the next few days or that you're sorry for not sticking up for me in front of Janine? Or not even coming to see if I actually got to Lissa's okay?"

He let out the breath he must have been holding.

"Roza you and your mother need to work things out. I can't help you with that. It's between you and her."

"That's not answering the question," I snapped.

He looked at me, "You asked several questions."

"And you failed to answer all of them."

I stepped closer to him. He stared down at me.

"I'm sorry Roza, I thought you wanted to be alone."

Damn he caught me.

He seemed to realize it too, he looked a little smug.

"That's beside the point," I said moving past him and taking his seat.

He turned so he could still face me.

"Let's start with Janine."

He narrowed his eyes, "I still think you and your mother should take care of this."

I glared, "She is not my mother."

He pinched the bridge of his nose, "She will always be your mother, words won't change that."

I looked away, "If they could I would have changed it a long time ago."

He sighed and went and sat on his bed, "Rose I'm sorry you don't get along with your mother…."

"Stop right there," I said cutting him off. "Janine Hathaway might have given birth to me but she did not raise me and she treats me like I'm an immature child, she is not my mother."

"She is and you can't change that, she did what most Guardian's do, tons of other kids had the same upbringing and they still consider their mothers their mothers."

I glared at him, "You're forgetting that most of those 'kids' got visited by their mothers. Before Lissa and I ran away I maybe saw Janine less than ten times." I didn't let him have a chance to interrupt me. "You on the other hand had a mother, and a loving mother I might add."

"Yeah I grew up with a mother and I love her. But I also grew up in a house where my so called father visited along with others every few weeks."

I blanched. Janine had thrown that in both of our faces last night.

"I was going to tell you about the Lissa thing last night but you and your mother's confrontation halted the action. The deal was that since you have been under constant attacks for the past weeks that you get a vacation before you start your duty. You are expected to take this vacation so you are not allowed to stay with Lissa at the moment. But it's only for a few days."

I glared at him, "That is absolutely insane! Especially after what happened! We still don't know who tried to kill Lissa. We need to be focused on that."

His face turned serious, "I know I kept the patrol up last night. No one tried to get anywhere near the house. And to answer another of your questions, I knew you were safe because I didn't leave the outside of the house all night."

"But you didn't physically come and see me to prove that."

"I know and I should have, but I thought you needed your space."

I couldn't look at him anymore so I stared at the floor. I heard him get to his feet and walk over to me. His warm hand grasped my shoulder and the other took my chin. He raised my face so I had to look at him.

"I love you Roza and you can beat the shit out of me if you want but that won't change how I feel about you."

Damn him, he knew exactly what to do to get my thoughts off track.

**So...yeah that was yeah. Looks like there's going to be a party. Thanks for reading! Review!!!**

**Oh and did I mention the fact that I'm sorry that it's been so long?**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I'm not Richelle Mead so I don't own anything from her books.**

**Okay yeah I know. I promised but yeah...truth be told that Thursday was the first day it didn't rain here IN TEN DAYS. Then it didn't rain Friday...but I had to work. Oh and then it decided to rain again on Saturday. So basically what I'm trying to say is that my internet doesn't work very well when it's storming. And it has been storming. Lightning and thunder oh my! I mean five of our mares just had foals and we named two of them weather type names. Thunder because he was born when the thunder was going crazy, and Flash because we had a flash flood warning all day...heheh funny story about that...anyways just get to reading now!**

26

Okay so I completely admit to acting like a baby these last few days. Instead of actually leaving Court I stayed in the room I was assigned. Okay that's what I told people. I was actually in the Shadow World for most of it.

Lissa had altered her plans and was planning our 'going away' party for the day before we leave. And besides it's more of a fancy ball than a party. The Queen offered her best 'event planners' to Lissa. Lissa accepted the nice gesture from the Queen so they basically have a very costly party planned.

And I was not allowed anywhere near anything. So I isolated my self. The only time I left my room was to check with Dimitri to make sure he was still patrolling. Then I just went back to my room, completely ignoring everything…well except for Mason.

"Why do you keep coming in here?" Mason asked from his spot against the oak tree.

I closed my eyes and closed the window I was using to watch Lissa with, "It's easier to watch from here. No one can see me to turn me in."

"Someone would actually turn you in for watching out for her?"

"The Queen would find any excuse in the book to lock me up."

Mason studied me before he said anything.

"Wonder why?"

I leaned back in the grass, "I have no clue. She hates me."

He didn't say anything else.

I wasn't really even in the mood to hear anything. I sat back up and opened another window. Lissa was comparing table cloths.

I groaned and shifted my view to Dimitri. He was watching Lissa compare table cloths. Christian was in the corner pretending to pull out his hair and Eddie was talking to Mia. Well hmm that's interesting, thought he said he was going to be watching Lissa like a hawk.

"Ugh," I sighed. I got up and looked around. I was getting used to the peaceful meadow. Considering this is probably the fifth day in a row that I've been here.

Mason stood up too and walked over to me. He put his hand on my shoulder, "Rose you need to go back."

I glared at him, "Kicking me out so soon? Let me guess you have a girlfriend here and you don't want me kicking her pale ghost ass?"

He rolled his eyes, "No nothing like that. It's just something weird is going on. That attack on Lissa…something's up."

I glanced at him, "I know and it's driving me insane that I can't see it."

He nodded, "Well sitting here hanging with ghosts isn't going to get anything done. Go back and watch out for Lissa or I'm going to go find Mrs. Dragomir."

I widened my eyes in mock horror, "Oh no I'm going."

He shoved me away and I called the gate back up slowly.

I watched trance-like as a pillar of black smoke rose from around my ankles to tower over me in an arch. Usually I just go right through but this time I studied the doorway.

The arch towers at least four feet over my head. The door, I never noticed before, looks like an ancient wood, long petrified. Carvings of symbols, like the ones that make up my extended mark, cover it. I studied the intricately carved marks, they all led to the center of the door. A figure stood there with arms outstretched to receive both sides of the marks. It was easy to tell that the figure is supposed to be a woman. Men just don't look that skinny or have long flowing hair.

Something about the markings started making me unsettled. I pushed open the heavy door and walked in to my room.

The arch disappeared as soon as I walked out of its reach. I looked around my bare room. It consisted of a bed, a chair, a desk, and the smallest closet I've ever seen. But lucky for it I only stuffed some jeans and t-shirts in it. Oh and the stupid dress Lissa bought for me.

I went towards my bed but something on my desk caught my eye.

The notebooks I had taken to writing in were scattered across the desk. All of my notes about the attack and my suspicions were missing.

"What the fuck?" I said looking through the mess.

Then everything went black as something crashed over my head.

* * *

"I like this one," Lissa said holding up a sample.

"Yes Princess that one will look gorgeous with the china."

I rubbed my temples, listening to the Princess and the royal advisor was giving me a headache.

"Guardian Belikov which one do you like?"

My eyes snapped open, "The one on the right," I said blindly.

Lissa and the advisor exchanged looks.

"Dimitri," Lissa said timidly, "will you go get Rose I want her opinion."

The advisor looked between the two of us, "I thought she wasn't allowed?"

"She's not allowed to be on duty. This is not duty, it's being an advisor for a party that she's a part of," Lissa said staring directly at the advisor.

I studied Lissa curiously before I answered, "I will be right back Princess."

Lissa beamed.

I turned and walked to Eddie. Mia looked up at me as I got closer and then took off in the direction of Lissa.

"Keep an eye on her for me."

Eddie nodded, "I will," he said going in to his Guardian mode.

I nodded and then took off towards Rose's room.

Her room was in the older part of the Guardian Quarters. I didn't meet anyone on my way up to the second floor.

I knocked on the door and waited.

I knocked on the door again, "Roza it's me."

Silence.

"Roza," I said more urgently rattling the locked door.

My over protectiveness of Roza caused me to kick the door in. I ran in to find her sprawled on the floor.

"Roza," I cried falling down next to her.

I pulled her up in to my arms. Blood was trickling down both sides of her face. Shattered glass littered the floor and a shard was sticking up from her scalp.

"Oh God Roza," I said standing up with her. I ran in the direction of the healing ward. She never stirred.

* * *

"Mason why in the hell can't I get back?"

Mason was sitting with his head in his hands, "You're under anesthetic."

"I'm going to kill that bastard," I growled.

"Did you see who it was?" he asked looking up at me.

Shit.

"No but I don't care. When I find him, he's dead."

"But why did he attack you?"

"Isn't it obvious? I know that someone is trying to kill Lissa. Oh holy shit…Dimitri knows. They're going after him too! I have got to get back!"

I called the arch again and was severely disappointed. Again.

"Ugh!" I screamed. I kicked the grass and punched the tree I was standing next to.

"Rose calm down, once the drug leaves your system you'll be able to go back."

I rubbed my hand and sank down against the tree.

_Someone got the best of me_.

I shook my head to dispel the thought.

I mulled over what happened as I waited semi-patiently.

* * *

"All the glass is out of the cut. I gave her an anesthetic so she can't feel any pain."

I nodded, "Thank you."

"She'll be okay. She's very special, she'll heal well."

I smiled, "She is special."

Dr. Patrice left me, her long coat billowing out behind her as she went through doorway.

I went and sat down beside the bed. I took Roza's hand, it was surprisingly cold.

I squeezed her numb fingers, "Roza you'll be okay now."

She didn't stir. I stroked her hair, avoiding the covered gash.

"Just come back now," I whispered.

* * *

"Mason if you don't get me back there I'm kicking your ass."

"I can't Rose! I don't know what's wrong! You should have woken up by now."

I screamed in anger as I opened another window. Dimitri was still sitting next to my bed. My body was lying in a hospital bed. White gauze covered the right side of my head, it was already blood soaked.

I looked much paler than usual.

"Just come back now," Dimitri whispered.

Tears sprang unwillingly from my eyes. Seeing Dimitri upset over me was too much, especially since I've been ignoring him all week.

God I'm an idiot.

"Mason please do something."

Mason looked at me with sad eyes and nodded.

"I'll try Rose, I'll try."

He disappeared and I waited while trying not to pull out my hair.

It didn't work. I collapsed on the ground.

Horrible thoughts went through my head.

I was stuck in the Shadow World.

And that thought wouldn't be frightening if I had my body with me. But while I'm here it's in the real world.

I shivered.

I was just attacked. Someone hit me over the head with a vase lodging a chunk of glass in to my head. Now my body is lying motionless in a hospital bed while my spirit is stuck in the Shadow World.

Shit.

Someone could kill me in the real world and I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it.

Even worse.

Someone could kill Dimitri while protecting me.

Or they could get their hands on Lissa.

**Well well well this is a predicament now isn't it. I'm curious to see what y'all think of this little...twist...**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah...go look at one of the other chapters that has one please.**

**Okay yeah...I know it's been FORVER but...really I have no other explanation other than I've only had like two days off, finals, and computer problems. Did you know that laptops don't like to work when they have like sixty viruses? Go figure!**

**But this chapter is here now and it's more of a I've been gone and I wanted to give y'all something to read! But I think y'all are going to like the...extra commentary I added in this...hehehehehehehehehehe**

**Read and enjoy!**

27

"So you think I should just go along without her?" I asked Adrian while looking over flower arrangements.

"Lissa if you ask me one more time…wait no the answer will still be the same, yes. I'm sure Rose would want you to act like nothing has happened. I've heard that hardly anyone even knows Rose is MIA."

I looked at him and studied him. He was smiling slightly, he knew the 'secret' of what was really up.

"How did you find out?"

His smile broadened, "Not that hard to find info on our dear Rosemarie. I was walking by the health ward and saw Belikov so I followed him and found her."

I sighed, "I've tried everything, I can't wake her up."

"Did you ever think that she doesn't want to wake up yet?"

_What the hell? He can not seriously believe that crap. If I hear one more thing about 'Her mind is fixing itself', or 'In time she'll wake up on her own terms, she just doesn't want to right now' I'll jump through this window and kill every last one of them. This is total bullshit._

"I know, the doctor's told me that too, but still. It's Rose. What's so bad that she doesn't want to be awake? What even put her in the coma in the first place? She just got hit on the head, the most damage that should have done was amnesia."

Adrian shrugged, "The mind works in mysterious ways."

_I'm going to kill that bastard._

I put the pictures down, "Do you think that there's something else wrong? Like her being connected with the Shadow World. Like what happened when we left the wards?"

Adrian sat down in one of the white folding chairs beside me. "I have no idea what is wrong with her, but I don't think it has anything to do with the Shadow World."

_Fucking idiot._

"I see Christian so I should probably vacate the premises or I might end up with a black eye," Adrian said suddenly jumping to his feet. "I'll see you later dear cousin," he said flying towards the exit.

Christian walked towards me, eyes narrowed in Adrian's direction, and plopped down in the empty chair.

"So is this party going to be done in time or what?" he asked looking at all the decorators now flowing in through the main doors to the hall.

"It should be, the Queen gave me her whole decorating team. It's going to be one big event."

"Minus one of the hostesses," Christian added silently.

"Shh, we can't talk about that now," I warned him.

"Whatever, she's still a vegetable, nothing has changed."

I glared at him, "How can you talk about her that way? She's going to wake up."

_I told you he was a pain in the ass._ _And when I get back he's going to pay for that, just you wait and see what I can do with a vegetable._

"I'm not saying she won't. I'm just going to tell you my idea about how her 'condition' isn't natural at all. Something's off."

"All of the doctors told us that it's because of stress. That her mind is healing itself."

_Bullshit._

"Shouldn't you have been able to fix her then? Why didn't your powers work on her, they have before. This should have been a snap for you."

"They haven't always worked with her and you know that."

"But that was because of magical interference, as far as we know there isn't any of that this time. You should be able to fix her but you can't. See the dilemma?"

_Oh for God's sake Lissa! Listen to Christian for once! I mean I hate his guts and I'm agreeing with him!_

I pinch the bridge of my nose, "I don't know what to think anymore. I just want to get through this party and have Rose wake up and go off to college with you."

Christian's smile faltered but he covered it like a pro, "Yeah I know what you mean."

I leaned in to his side and he wrapped his arms around me. His scent overwhelmed me and I suddenly had the urge to lose myself in it.

"I think they can handle this without me," I said playing with his shirt collar.

He smiled, "Oh are you sure?"

"Absolutely," I said getting to my feet and pulling him with me.

He throws his arm over my shoulder and leads me out of the building where we walk smack in to Dimitri.

His face clearly shows that he's hiding his pain, because if he's not in pain he can't be human (well dhampir).

"Dimitri how are you?" I ask timidly.

"I'm fine princess, and there hasn't been any change."

A slight twinge is in his voice that I recognize as complete despair.

I automatically reach a hand towards him and grasp his forearm. Before I actually know what I'm doing I'm healing him, or at least soothing him.

You can't really heal a broken heart with outside magic.

His face lightens up slightly, but not much.

"Thank you Lissa," he says turning away from us. He heads back towards the health ward.

_Yeah thanks Lissa. He needs all the help he can get._

"Did you say something?" I ask turning to Christian.

He looks at me startled, "What?"

"Did you say something?" I ask looking at him and studying his mental state as well.

"No I didn't Lissa," he says appearing to do the same.

"Huh I thought I heard something," I say dismissing it as stressed nerves.

We continue on our trek to my house.

_Did she hear me? Mason where in the hell are you? Oh I guess that's not appropriate anymore huh…well you need to get your ass back here as soon as possible because I think she might have heard me!_

* * *

"She didn't hear you Rose," said a soft silky voice from behind me.

A voice I haven't heard in years.

Mainly because the owner of that voice is dead.

Guess that kind of thing happens when your in the Land of the Dead a.k.a. The Shadow World.

I turn on my heel to see Lissa's brother Andre standing in all his dead guy glory.

"I heard you were here, I just didn't want to believe it."

"Where are your parents?" I blurted out.

"They're taking care of some business. Rose why are you here?"

"I don't know, I'm stuck here for some unknown reason," I said letting my anger leak out.

"So you aren't dead?" he asked looking relieved.

"Not yet apparently," I grumbled.

"Then you have to go back!" he almost shouted. "You don't know what's coming. There's going to be an attack, and it's go…."

He didn't finish because he disappeared.

**Hmmmmm I guess they aren't supossed to talk...interesting. So yeah I know it was super short but still...what did y'all think? I bet no one knows what's going to happen next! Hehehe I bet no one gets it...so if that isn't a hint to reivew I don't know what is!**

**Review please!**

**Sorry again for not updating in forever and the shortness of this chapter!**

**~Kaiai**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: So yeah I'm not Richelle Mead which means I don't own anything from her books.**

**Okay so here is the much anticipated chapter twenty-eight. Hope you like it ;)**

28

If I could control the weather in this stupid fucking place thunderstorms would be crashing so loud the Living World could hear it.

I stormed away from where I saw Andre and just stomped my way around the field. Mason had said that there were other dimensions to this place but the only one I've ever seen is this fucking meadow.

"Mason I don't know where you are but get your ass here right now."

Some of the ghosts or whatever glared at me for interrupting their peace. I storm off to an empty spot in the meadow.

"Mason you bastard," I mumble.

"Hey watch the language Miss," a very annoying voice says from behind a tree.

"I'll watch more than my language. I'll watch my fist connect with your face if you don't come out from there."

Mason peeks around a branch, "Okay fine I surrender."

"Stop it Mason, what did you find out?"

"Absolutely nothing," he says looking guarded.

I throw my arms up in annoyance and turn around to open another window.

He comes up beside me and watches.

All I can see is my hospital bed with me connected to wires that aren't doing a thing.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I mumble.

"Well for starters you have anger problems. Two you have improper language, three you're too cautious, four your punches aren't as nearly as powerful as your kicks and fifth…."

"And what was that about my punches?" I ask standing over Mason who has suddenly fallen flat on his back.

"Nothing," he grumbles rubbing his jaw.

I go back to watching the empty hospital room. Well semi empty.

When that gets boring I switch to watching Lissa who thankfully is at the party. I hadn't realized so much time had gone by.

She's in a beautiful lavender floor length dress that has to have cost a ton of money. The theme seems to match her completely. Jade and lavender colors are everywhere.

Someone is a bit conceited.

I push the thought away and scan the people there ignoring the headache that's making my head pound.

"So who are you spying on now?" Mason asks from over my shoulder.

"The party's begun."

"You know it doesn't start till you get there," he says trying to make up for before.

"Shut it," I say when I spot Dimitri in the corner. He's on Guardian duty. No wonder he wasn't in my room.

A glimmer of gold catches my eye and I see the Queen. I grind my teeth together to stop myself from calling her every horrible word I've ever heard…even the Russian ones.

She just looks like a snake.

Click.

I continue to stare as the pieces fall together.

* * *

"And how long do I have to be here?" Christian asks.

I glare at him, "Oh the whole time," I say evilly walking away.

I can feel him glaring but admiring me.

I move through the room talking to the many Royals that have decided to attend. When I spot the couple in the dark corner my jaw nearly drops to the floor.

Mia and…Eddie?

What have I missed?

I'm so completely and thoroughly taken aback that I sneak away. And head back to Christian.

"You are never going to believe what I just saw," I tell him leading him to the table we had been sitting at earlier.

"What?" he asks raising an eyebrow.

"Mia and Eddie."

"What about them?" he asks looking at a pair of Royals that had walked around another table to avoid him.

"They apparently are more than friends."

He turns to look at me, "You serious?"

"Yes I just saw them making out back there," I say nodding towards their corner.

"Well, I guess that explains why he's never asking to stay when he's dismissed. Got somewhere to be now."

I roll my eyes at what I assume he's thinking, "Well I'm happy for him. This is exactly the thing he needs."

Christian just shakes his head, "I don't care. But maybe we should take in there example and find a more secluded place ourselves."

I smile and kiss him on the cheek.

"I'm the hostess. I think they'll know if I'm missing."

"You'd be surprised a lot of these Royals are a bit more concerned about talking politics. I'm sure they won't even miss you for a second."

"Well maybe then for a second," I say getting up.

* * *

"Will you please tell me what you figured out?"

"I got to go I can't stay here anymore."

"So you figured out how to get back?"

"Shut the hell up Mason."

* * *

"I think I saw Lissa leave, I need to make sure she's okay," I said to Mia while stroking her hand.

"Ugh fine, I guess you are her Guardian. Probably should be on duty when you aren't."

"Hey I'm sorry just comes with the territory."

"Okay well I'll be here," Mia says kissing my cheek.

I smile and get up to go back out to the mass of Moroi.

I scan the last place I saw Lissa.

And of course she isn't there.

I walk around to look but can't find her. I do however find Dimitri and go straight to him.

"Hey have you seen Lissa?"

Dimitri glares at me, "You weren't watching her?"

I take a step back, "No I'm not on duty. I thought you were her Guardian tonight."

Dimitri pales, "No I'm not."

I turn and scan the party for her. Dimitri pushes me out of the way to find Alberta.

I rush towards a door to look outside.

* * *

"Who was guarding Princess Lissa?" I demand of Alberta.

She looks taken aback, "I'm not sure. The Court Guardians took over assigning."

I turn on my heel and rush towards a door swearing.

The cool night air hits my face as I slam through the doors.

I find Eddie simply enough.

"I'm sick of getting hit over the head," Christian Ozera says being held up by Eddie.

**Ahhhh! Oh no! What does this mean? Why does she leave these awful cliffhangers? Hehehehe I know those must be some of the responses to this ending. Hehehehehe.**

**Well anyways I'm going to start on the next chapter in...as soon as I post this...so that means it might be up later tonight! That's a shocker!**

**Oh and I have a proposition for you all. It's one of those "Many will enter few will win" type deals. I am currently writing a story. Completely original...and the first five people to message me will get a 'chunk' of the story. Basically the first few chapters. For more info go to my profile. I will not accept requests for this on reviews which means I probably will. MAYBE.**

**Thanks for reading! Review!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: Ha! Thought I would write another one of these didn't you??? Well no. See previous chapter.**

**Ha! Didn't think I'd keep my word! Well I did and how proud are y'all? Hehehe here is chapter twenty-nine.**

29

More swearing and a few seconds later Eddie and I are bringing Christian back in to the party. We set him down in a chair.

"Do not leave his side. I don't care if another Guardian comes and tells you too. Do not move unless I tell you."

Eddie nods, "I understand."

I try and look like I'm not in a hurry so I don't alert anyone. I go to Alberta.

I grab her arm and drag her to a quieter spot, "The Princess is missing."

"What?" she says a little too loudly for my taste.

"Please I would like to keep this quiet."

"You want to keep it quiet?" Alberta asks me stunned.

"Whoever has done this is expecting a huge explosion of events. They won't expect us to keep something of this magnitude quiet."

She considers this, "Fine I will get Janine and we'll search for her. They can't have gotten f…."

"Alberta?" I ask looking at her blank stare.

I turn around to follow her gaze.

A haze has erupted in the center of the room.

A bright light makes me cover my eyes as something is formed out of smoke.

I blink several times to return my vision to see a magnificent archway. The stone looks ancient and I can detect runes carved in to it.

Even more magnificent is the person standing in front of it.

Roza with her fiercest glare is standing like some sort of destroying angel in the center of light and smoke.

She no longer looks pale, but flushed.

Her hair is flowing in a haze of black and violet flame. Her eyes are glowing with anger. She's wearing dark fighting gear and I can see her sword on her hip.

As fast as it appeared the sight vanished leaving Rose standing in the center of astonished people.

Murmurs erupt from the crowd.

I rush forward, towards Rose.

"Roza?" I ask not believing my eyes.

She turned toward me.

"Dimitri thank you for staying with me all that time."

"So you are real?"

A shadow of a smile graced her lips for a second.

"Yes I woke up in that bed and then came here."

I sighed in relief. For a second I thought she was a ghost.

When I looked back at her she was on the move.

I followed after her but she was walking much faster than any normal person.

Then I saw where she was going and broke out in to a run.

"Roza stop," I commanded.

She turned so fast on her heel she was a blur.

"No I think these people ought to know the truth."

She turned back around and walked straight to the Queen.

"Why dear Rosemarie what an entrance," the Queen said so sweetly it was sickening.

"Cut the crap your Majesty."

Several people gasped at the boldness.

The Queen continued to smile.

"Why Rosemarie maybe you should go back to the healing ward. You are apparently not well."

Flames seemed to erupt from Rose's eyes.

"Do not talk down to me. You aren't worth half of the scum on these people's shoes," Rose snarled.

Guardians moved forward to remove Rose. They stopped halfway as she glared at them.

"What are you doing," the Queen asked looking at her stopped Guardians, "Take her in to custody."

"Not before I tell my story about how you've been drugging me to keep me in a coma to keep me out of the way of your plan. Or should I say scheme? To bad the nurse forgot to administer the last dose before I woke up."

The Queen visibly paled as people repeated what Rose said to the ones who didn't hear.

"Rosemarie you need to go back to the ward," the Queen tried to say.

"Why so your associates can knock me out again. Remind me to thank Ambrose for attacking me and trying to kidnap Lissa. Oh and for kidnapping her just a minute ago."

That shut the Queen up along with everyone else in the room. Rose was going over the deep end. The Queen would not stand for this.

The Queen rose from her chair.

"I have had enough accusations from you," she said suddenly more confident.

Rose just smiled, "Oh and do tell Viktor I said hi."

Then Rose turned to me and smiled before she disappeared in the smoke of whatever moves her from place to place.

I didn't wait to hear what everyone started saying. I took off towards Eddie.

From the few things I did catch they weren't good.

Eddie was staring at the place Rose had vanished. Christian was glaring at the Queen like he was contemplating setting her on fire.

Which he probably was.

I grabbed his arm and Eddie's and hauled them outside.

Rose ran up to me from the shadows.

"We have to act fast or they're going to get away."

"Rose explain now," Christian demanded.

"Is your Aunt here?" she asked ignoring his question.

"Yes," he spluttered, "answer my damn question first. What the hell was that?"

Rose glared back, "The Queen is responsible for Lissa disappearing. That dhampir Ambrose took Lissa and they're somewhere on the road. Lissa is still partially knocked out. I can't get a clear view of where they are and I can't go there because they're moving. I have a hunch to where they might be going though."

"Where?" Christian asked stepping closer to Rose.

"An airport," she said like it was obvious.

"Why?" I blurted out before Christian could say anymore.

She turned to me, "To meet up with the Strigoi."

Ice went down my spine.

"Why do you want to know about my Aunt?" Christian whispered.

"She's a fire user. We need help and lots of it."

"I can grab some Guardians before they're converted to Tatiana's ways," Janine Hathaway said stepping from the shadows behind us.

Rose didn't look at her but continued to talk to Christian about getting some Moroi who were willing to fight.

And that was slim to none.

Eddie perked up, "I'll go get Mia," and took off back inside.

I turned to Janine.

"Thanks, tell Alberta what's going on."

Janine kept her eyes on her daughter, "She already knows and is talking to Guardian's who weren't here."

I glance at Rose who is still plotting away with Christian.

"Okay, Janine go fast."

She nods and with one last glance at Rose runs to the door.

"Thanks Janine," Rose whispers at the last second.

I see Janine stop for a second before she rushes inside.

**Oh no! How many seriously saw that coming? Probably a few...but there is still a twist to come! Hehehehehehe yes I know perfectly well that I'm evil. I'm not sure about updating later today considering it's after one here. Vet's coming and we're moving horses. So I don't know what exactly I'm going to do.**

**Oh and you can still 'enter' to win! I know that sounds so cheesy! But if you would like a chance to read my new story (completely original) go to my profile for more info. (That's one of the reasons why I haven't been updating this....)**

**Thanks for reading! Review!!!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: See a previous chapter.**

**{Laughs evilly} You don't know this yet but this is the last chapter. Shh! Read and enjoy.**

30

Surprisingly when you set the gears in motion things happen fast.

I stared at the Guardians that were crowded in to one of the many cafeteria areas at the Court.

And they were all looking at me. Weird.

"Roza what do we need to do?" Dimitri somehow asked silkily.

I smiled at him and then snapped back in to reality.

I put on my game face and started to tell him what I know.

"Something bad is happening. I still don't know where Lissa is but I do know where they might be going. We need to be on the road now or rather in the air."

"Where are they supposedly going?" a Guardian I didn't recognize asked.

"Spokane," I state bluntly.

"Why would they go back there?" Dimitri asked.

"I have no idea why but I'm figuring that they think since we know about it we won't check. It's just a holding place though. If we go there we'll be able to find where they're really going."

"What did you mean when you said Viktor?" Christian muttered from behind me.

I turned to him, "I don't know how but he's connected in this somehow."

"You mean Viktor, the man who is in prison, has something to do with a kidnapping that happened thousands of miles from his cell?" asked the same Guardian as before.

I turned to glare at him and had the amusement to see him look away, "He has something to do with this. I mean it's not really hard to figure out. Why would the Queen have had any doubts about sentencing him in the first place? That to me does not sound right with the amount of evidence he had against him."

I heard some Guardians agree.

I turned back to Christian.

"You found your Aunt?"

He nodded. He was still in shock.

That's about when Adrian decided to show up.

"I don't have a clue to what you're doing but I'm in," he said throwing an arm around my shoulder.

I started with glaring and forcefully removing his arm, "You won't be able to help much in the field. I had bigger and better plans for you but if you want to throw some Spirit at the Strigoi you can come along," I say tauntingly.

His eyes narrow, "What kind of things?"

"Well for starters healing Christian."

Adrian glances at Christian, "And?"

"Staying here and watching your dear old Aunt. Use that wonderful charm you have to make sure she stays here and doesn't do anything that might stop us."

His smile brightens, "Oh fun. Let's see how many Guardians it takes to remove me from her side."

"Thanks Adrian," I say moving towards Dimitri.

"Is everything ready?" I ask him.

He nods, "Everything we talked about."

"Good," I say moving towards Janine.

"Janine I need you take the first group to the planes so we can get out of here."

Janine nods and takes off.

I stare after her and for some reason or other wishing things were better between us.

Dimitri is suddenly beside me, "Come with me."

I nod and follow him to the side door that leads in to the kitchen.

When the door closes Dimitri is suddenly kissing me. Me being me I don't complain.

I revel in the passion Dimitri sends through every touch of his lips.

But too soon it's over and we're trying to catch our breath.

"Roza I don't know what's going to happen but I just want you to know that I love you. And that I will always love you."

"Don't you dare say goodbye," I warn.

"I'm not I just want you to know."

I glare at him, "We aren't going to die."

He smiles halfheartedly.

I continue to glare at him but end up kissing him.

"And I love you too even though nothing is going to happen."

He holds me in a tight embrace for seconds more.

Then we break away so we can continue with the planning.

There are only about forty or something Guardians. If worse comes to worse I'll go in by myself. Of course Dimitri doesn't know about this little plan.

It's better if he doesn't or he would talk me out of it.

From all the warnings I got in the Shadow World from Andre and his parents I know what's about to happen. I'm just glad that Alberta has promised more reinforcements. We can only hope for so much with the Queen against us. I knew from the beginning she was off. I just wish someone else had noticed it too. Maybe we wouldn't be in this situation.

More arguing erupted on what we were going to do. Dimitri took over since I filled him in on everything, he's better anyways. My mental state is far from perfect. I'm surprised I haven't attacked someone yet.

Might be due to the fact that Dimitri is keeping hold of my arm just in case.

* * *

The first thing that registers with my brain is the awful taste in my mouth. I immediately recognize that it's some type of drug.

My eyes burst open.

I'm on a plane and its freezing.

I sit up only to find that my hands and feet are bound.

I look up to see a shadow looming over me.

"Don't struggle and you might be okay."

The face is familiar but I can't quite remember it.

"Who are you?" I ask finding that I can barely talk.

"It doesn't matter," he says going to sit in the seats on the other side.

"It does too matter. Where am I?"

"No it doesn't, and if you don't recognize a plane then there really is no hope for you at all."

I glare at him but don't say anything anymore.

_Rose! Please help me! I'm on a plane somewhere, please Rose please!_ I send out with tears streaming down my face.

* * *

Lissa's petrified thoughts burst through my mind as she finally wakes up.

I let myself get drawn in to her mind. But all I can see is what she's staring at. Luckily she keeps glancing at her captor.

It's Ambrose the dhampir that gave up being a Guardian.

Hmm wonder why? Strigoi pay better maybe?

I try and tell her that everything will be all right as I mentally curse myself for not being able to get there using my gift. It's never failed before but now it chooses not to work.

I try and block what that might mean.

Dimitri finishes speaking and turns to me. I nod to him and we walk out the front doors followed by Eddie, Mia, Christian, and twenty or so Guardians.

We walk out to the night on our treacherous journey.

One that may or may not end our lives.

* * *

"And?"

"They're on their way to the first checkpoint. She will arrive here in four hours."

"Good, make sure that everything is on time."

"And the Queen?"

"I don't care anything about her. She won't be Queen for long."

"Yes sir, is there anything I can get you?"

"Yes, tell Zacharie that everything is going according to plan."

"Yes Prince Dashkov."

**No I wasn't kidding about this being the last chapter. This seriously is the last chapter. Yeah I know shocker. But these last few chapters were sort of going to be combined but as I was writing them today I decided to break it in to smaller chapters so I could have it be thirty chapters. Anyways before any of you all have nervous breakdowns there is going to be a sequel to this one. I can't tell you what it's going to be called because that would ruin it!**

**Thanks for all the reviews guys. You don't know how much I appreciate it! I mean seriously thank you! Especially to the people who have had something to say on basically every single chapter! Thanks for the constant reviews guys! (You know who you are!) And thanks to the ones who didn't review but have followed this story from the start!**

**Thanks for reading! Review! (Just because this is the end doesn't mean you can't review! I expect them, and lots of them please!)**

**Thanks again,**

**~Kaiai**


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